Latest / Restaurant Business with Fexingo: Food Service, Hospitality, and Independent Operators / How Menu Descriptions Boost Restaurant Revenue 12 Percent
Transcript
- Lucas: You know, I've been looking at something that seems almost too simple to matter, but the numbers are really striking. Luna: I'm listening. Lucas: Menu descriptions. Not the prices, not the typography — the actual words you use to describe a dish. A study from the Journal of Consumer Research found that restaurants that rewrote their menu descriptions using more sensory, evocative language saw an average increase of 12 percent in per-person revenue. Luna: Twelve percent from just changing the words? That's huge. Lucas: Yeah, and it makes sense when you think about it. The example that always sticks with me: a 'Grilled Chicken' becomes 'Wood-Fired Romesco-Glazed Chicken with Smoked Paprika.' That second dish sounds like it's worth more money, and customers are willing to pay a premium. Luna: So what's the trick? Is it just adding more adjectives? Lucas: Not randomly. Research from Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research points to a few key categories. Sensory words — crispy, sizzling, velvety — that evoke taste and texture. Geographic descriptors — 'Napa Valley' or 'Vermont Cheddar' — signal quality. And brand names, like 'Mike's Bacon' or 'Valrhona Chocolate,' add perceived value. Luna: But there's a line between descriptive and absurd, right? I don't want a paragraph about the chicken's life story. Lucas: Exactly. The Cheesecake Factory gets away with 20-word items because their whole brand is abundance. For an independent Italian spot in New York, I saw them rewrite 'Spaghetti and Meatballs' to 'House-Made Spaghetti with Hand-Rolled Beef and Pork Meatballs in San Marzano Tomato Basil Sauce.' Check average went from $38 to $45 in two weeks. Luna: That's a 16 percent jump. But did they raise prices too? Lucas: No — same prices. The higher average check came from customers adding appetizers or desserts because the descriptions made the meal feel more premium. They were willing to spend more across the board. Luna: Interesting. So the halo effect extends beyond just that one dish. Lucas: Right. And there's a behavioral economics angle: when you describe a dish with specific, authentic-sounding ingredients, it signals that the chef cares about quality. That trust carries over to the rest of the menu. Luna: But what about minimalist menus? Like, a high-end tasting menu that just says 'Beef' or 'Carrot'? Lucas: That works when the restaurant already has a reputation. The minimalist menu is a signal of confidence — 'trust us, we know what we're doing.' But for most independents, especially new ones, descriptive language is a low-cost way to communicate quality. The key is to match the style to your brand voice. Luna: So what's the biggest mistake operators make? Lucas: Overpromising. If you describe a 'sauce that's been simmered for 36 hours' and it's clearly from a can, customers will notice. You have to be honest. Another mistake is using clichés — 'mouthwatering,' 'delicious' — those are meaningless. You want concrete specifics: 'hand-cut,' 'wood-fired,' 'from-scratch.' Luna: I've seen some places use emotional words too, like 'grandma's recipe' or 'family tradition.' Does that work? Lucas: It can, especially for comfort-food spots. A study in the International Journal of Hospitality Management found that nostalgic descriptions increased purchase intent by 18 percent for traditional dishes. But it backfires if it feels manufactured. You need a real story to back it up. Luna: How would you recommend a restaurant test this without a full redesign? Lucas: Start with your three top-selling items. Rewrite their descriptions using sensory and geographic language. Run the new menu for two weeks and compare average check on those items. If you see a lift, roll it out to the whole menu. That's a low-risk A/B test. Luna: And maybe use a different color or font for the rewritten items so servers know to highlight them. Lucas: Good point. Server buy-in is huge. If a server describes the dish with the same language from the menu, it reinforces the value. Training that takes five minutes at a pre-shift meeting. Luna: This whole thing reminds me of a conversation we had about the power of small changes. And speaking of that — if you've found value in these conversations, if they've helped you think differently about your business, you can support the show at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Lucas: Yeah, listener support is what keeps this ad-free. Every contribution, even just a coffee, means we can keep digging into these specific, actionable topics. We don't take a dime from advertisers, so it's genuinely listener-funded. Luna: Exactly. And back to menu descriptions — we haven't even touched on how AI tools are starting to generate and test descriptions automatically. Lucas: Yeah, there are startups now that use language models to rewrite menu items and predict which phrasing will drive the highest check. One company, I think it's called MenuGPT or something, claims a 5 to 8 percent lift just from their algorithmic rewrites. Luna: So we might see menus that change based on the time of day or even the customer's past orders. Lucas: Possibly. But for now, the basics still work. Look at your menu as a piece of copy, not a list of ingredients. Every word should earn its place. If a description doesn't make someone hungry or trust the food, cut it. Luna: Well, I know what I'm doing this weekend. My menu's getting a rewrite. Lucas: Mine too. Let me know how it goes.