We're suckers.

Ok, I'll wear that.
Apparently,

RESTAURANTS using fancy typeface on their menus can often get away with fancy prices too with people perceiving complicated font to mean complex food that needs greater skills to prepare.

Researchers at the University of Michigan found people believed if that if the font was harder to read then the task was harder to do.

Looked at the other way, researchers said this meant that clear font was likely to lead to the perception that the task was simple and people were more able to complete it.
My example, that I whipped up, shown below. (Forgive the terrible graphic, my ability in this is extremely limited.)


Yep, I reckon its probably true. The Left could be in a restaurant, the same menu on the right looks like it could be on the chalkboard at the pub, with the addition of "Schnitzel or Steak $10 Tuesday".

Gordon Ramsay deals a lot with issues like this on Kitchen Nightmares. Especially when there's a restaurant that is failing because they're trying to be too fancy in a small town that can't understand their menu. I'm an avid watcher so this is less surprising for me than someone else possibly. A particluar episode I recall, the chefs were all French, and they were trying to do Fine Dining, in a town in Scotland that couldn't understand what they were meant to be eating.

4 kindred spirits ~ This bugs them too!:

.:.:. Reanan .:.:. said...
June 20, 2008 6:37 PM

HAHA yes people are so easy to shame into paying more.

The moment we think the joint has class were willing to pony up an extra ten dollars for a main.

Yep suckers it is.

K said...
June 27, 2008 3:13 PM

Drink prices bug me more. Did you read that SMH article on wine price inflation?

http://www.smh.com.au/news/good-living/its-a-corker-of-a-markup-at-100/2008/06/21/1214009162266.html

Dataceptionist said...
June 27, 2008 3:29 PM

oh my god K. Thats ridiculous! But honestly, who goes to a restaurant and spend $170 on a single bottle of wine?!?
Far out.
We were at a restaurant once on holidays up the central coast, and the wine list consisted solely of Vino Gusto brand wine. If you're unaware, Vino Gusto is Liquorland's "homebrand" wine, and sells for $5 a bottle when in a half-dozen. They were honestly selling them in the restaurant for $20 a bottle, and it was only that its a wine I'm very familiar with that I knew at all. I was outraged, yet had no choice but to drink it at that price.
The same with Lindemans, which is often the brand advertised at restaurants, and it costs $7 at most to buy in the bottle-o. $25+ on the menu though.

Anonymous said...
June 28, 2008 2:25 AM

I love the graphic you worked up. So true. My favorite restaurants here in Brooklyn, New York are those with great food and no pretense!

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