Holiday Ayo - When entering a restaurant, diners are often lured by the tempting aromas of the food.

Furthermore, the cozy atmosphere and the music playing inside can make them want to linger.

However, customers need to be careful when dining at restaurants. Some restaurants employ psychological tricks to manipulate customers into ordering more.

The dining experience is more special because customers simply sit back, order, and wait for their food to arrive.

Customers also experience greater satisfaction when the food they enjoy is delicious and worth the price.

However, customers also need to be wary when dining at restaurants, especially regarding their dining bill.

According to marketing experts, many restaurants employ a series of clever tricks to encourage customers to overspend without realizing it.

In a video uploaded to the account @everupmarketing, an expert named Basia uploaded an article about how restaurants manipulate customers with psychological tricks.

She explained, "This carousel outlines the psychological tricks restaurants use to get you to eat faster, order more, and feel good about paying more."

Some restaurants are known to frequently use "psychological pricing" or "menu engineering," psychological strategies to encourage customers to buy more or choose menu items that are more profitable for the restaurant.

These strategies may be legitimate, but expert Basia advises business owners to implement them ethically.

She also reveals strategies often employed by restaurants to increase customer awareness.

As reported by thesun.co.uk on Thursday (September 25th), here are five psychological strategies commonly employed by restaurants to increase customer bill amounts.

1. Omitting Prices and Currency Symbols

Some restaurants choose not to include prices or currency symbols on their menus to prevent customers from becoming fixated on prices and spending more.

Basia explained, "They remove the currency symbols so your brain forgets it's money."

According to this expert, menus without currency symbols make customers feel like they're not spending real money.

2. Table Layout

Not just the menu, but the table layout can also trick customers into this psychological trick.

For example, a bar or booth area encourages customers to linger, thus spending more money over time.

On the other hand, bright lights and loud music also help restaurants turn around quickly to serve more customers.

3. Side Dishes

Side dishes can be a restaurant's trick to get customers to order more without realizing it.

Another point highlighted by Basia is side dishes.

Basia claims, "Restaurants often encourage customers to order side dishes separately, then offer them a complete meal afterward."

Side dishes are usually sold at a lower price than the main course. Because they appear "cheap," customers are less hesitant to add them.

However, if customers add a large number of side dishes, this will still significantly increase the bill.

Restaurants also often place side dishes next to or below the main course, then label them as "chef's recommendations" to make customers feel like they are a must-order.

4. Specialty Dishes

Another trick restaurants employ, according to experts, is using expired ingredients as special dishes.

Instead of serving truly special dishes, they actually use expired ingredients to prevent losses.

However, some chefs dispute this. They reveal that some restaurants actually plan their special menus in advance.

5. Free Bread

Free bread served in restaurants is also a psychological trick to encourage customers to order more.

Some restaurants provide free bread on the table to help increase customer satisfaction.

This bread seems to make customers feel more cared for. Ultimately, customers feel they should receive something in return for the free food, which encourages them to order more food.

Offering free bread or snacks also creates a positive atmosphere from the start. Customers' moods improve, which often leads to more spending.