10 things almost every restaurant does to trick you

Every industry has its own secrets to success, and cafes and restaurants are no exception. It turns out there are many ways to subtly trick a guest into order, and all the extra treats and pastries from the chefs are just other clever tricks to keep you in the restaurant and push you to order something else.

We chatted with people who work as waiters, bartenders, or even those who have their own restaurants to learn more about their secrets.

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1. Tables with great views are only offered to those who have come to eat.

Places with panoramic views of the city or ocean are always offered to those who come to spend a large amount of money. So, before giving you a seat, the hostess or the waiter will ask you, "Are you going to eat?" If you ask for a table by the sea, but you are only going to order coffee and dessert, you will be told that the table is booked. And the next one will be booked too.

2. There may not be a menu for children, but they do offer special discounts on small portions for children.

There is a reason why many restaurants do not have a children's menu. Instead, a caring waiter will offer the child to order something from the regular menu, promising that it will be half the size of the usual portion. And, of course, it will be 1/2 of the price. But there is a trick here: you will most likely order a drink and dessert for the child, which will be a regular size. But even with such a discount, the restaurant will still work.

3. There is one reason why waiters are not allowed to lose their hair or wear jewelry and bright makeup.

Hair should never be loose, makeup should be very simple, there should be no embellishments, and nails should be cut short and free of shine. This is to prevent guests from feeling like they might have a piece of nail polish, hair, or an earring on their plate. And sometimes, guests don't like it when the waiters or bartenders look better than them.

4. Free treats from chefs are provided only to specific people and at specific times.

Restaurants often give free snacks to their guests, but there is a reason why they do so. Snacks make you want to eat more, so you can order alcohol, and a free dessert after the main course makes you order coffee or tea. In both cases, this is done to encourage the guest to spend more money. Usually, free meals are provided to groups of women as they tend to spend more money than men.

5. Some cafes have whole cakes on display, while others have sliced ones. There is a reason why.

In restaurants and cafes, this is a way to create the appearance of scarcity: it seems that at least one person has already bought a piece, so the cake must be good.

5. Some cafes have whole cakes on display, while others have sliced ones. There is a reason why.

Chefs often change the recipe for a familiar dish in order to save on ingredients. Or, conversely, they can add a tiny ingredient and increase the price significantly. For example, there may be a couple of grams of Chinese truffles in a carbonara, which cost a little, but most people cannot tell the difference between the Chinese and Italian varieties.

7. The size of your plate depends on where you are and what you order.

Cafes often use the Delbough illusion to trick our brains and our eyes. If you put food on a small plate so that it appears full, you will feel full faster, even if there was only a small amount of food. This trick is often used in eateries, burgers, and buffets. Restaurants use the opposite effect: the main course is served on large plates so that you feel hungry and they try to nudge you into ordering dessert.

8. By the appearance of the client, the waiters can tell what they will order.

Experienced waiters can guess your favorite food or drink based on your behavior, dress, and manner of speech. For example, students and girls under 30 love to order chicken or seafood salads, pasta plates, cream soups, chocolate desserts, tea, and lattes. Men over 30 often order chicken dishes, while children love sausages and fries.

9. Waiters can control your actions with a smile and a simple bow.

This method is called Sullivan's nod: when recommending a certain dish to a guest, the waiters politely smile, lean slightly forward, and slowly nod their heads. Most people nod in return and agree to order what the waiter offers them, even if they never planned to do so.

10. Restaurateurs use different materials, shapes, and colors to manipulate the subconscious of guests.

Our brains are easily tricked into using tricks related to how we perceive reality. For example, ice cream tastes better when served with a metal spoon, and a green-blue glass makes the drink cooler and fresher. Expensive luxury restaurants serve main dishes and delicacies on heavy plates because it makes the food better than it actually is.