Restaurant Tricks of the Trade

This story appeared in Sunday Telegraph (Sydney), June 6 under "Restaurants' list of tricks"The story goes like this.... "The techniques restaurants adopt tomake customers part with their cash have been revealed. The top tricks are using a specialsboard to charge a premium for old food, set menus and targeting womenwith desserts. The techniques, featured in UK foodmagazine Olive, also include manipulating menus by putting items therestaurant is keen to promote in the right-hand corner, which draws theeye. French terms were often used to make dishes sound more exotic andjustify a higher price tag,"" My comments are:  1. Maybe the writer has never heardof marketing! I mean every business tries to put their wares in thebest possible light. 2. I don't know many restaurantswho sell "old food", however it is natural to try to use all food priorto it's use-by-date. It is just good business practice, especially inthis tough market. I will bet anything that even thewriter has rehashed something in his or her career! However, unlike arehashed story, if the food is 'off' or 'old' then no self respectingrestaurateur is going to offer it to his clientele. Oops, I used acouple of French terms, sorry, I meant customer and food place owner ofcourse. I was just trying to make my story more attractive. The words restaurant and cafe, bothhave their deriviatives in the French language and suddenly I am pressed to find analternative word. I would hate to be accused of dressing up my story! 3. As for desserts, if restaurantsonly targeted women my guess is that they would be cutting out half oftheir market. I recall in my restaurant we made desserts appealing forpeople who liked ... well desserts, actually. Well, that is it. I have said mypiece. Over to you!