Upmarket Restaurants offer Downmarket Menu Options

Using food research we’ve found a few examples of pricier restaurants offering more affordable options, while keeping the same gourmet quality.

Lock 6, in Western Pennsylvania, has white table cloths, black uniforms, soaring ceilings, a river view and a menu like thousands of others in casual upscale eateries. And then the server said to reporter David Farkas, "Let me tell you about our $5 Chef's Special -- a fried baloney sandwich." He says of the regional favorite, “It arrived with a ramekin stone ground mustard, which was quite confusing. But then, the dish also featured mesclun lettuces, ripe tomato slices, melted cheese and handcut fries. Somehow the kitchen had managed to make this humble classic classy.”

In Dallas, two upscale restaurant chains known for $50 - $100 per person menus have opened restaurants featuring items from $7 - $22., Chef Kent Rathbun wants Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen to be "the Mecca of affordable, casual cuisine in the Dallas area," and so far, business is booming. Nick & Sam's Grill features traditional American comfort food served in an energetic bistro atmosphere, combining several major food trends at once--comfort food, feel-good atmosphere and affordability, with a chef’s touch.

In London, restaurant group Little Bay has had great success with their "pay-what-you-think-it's-worth" promotion, with the average customer spending 30% more than usual. Within five days of its launch these food trends resulted in the restaurant being fully booked, with a total of nearly 10,000 diners visiting the restaurant during the four weeks of the promotion. Little Bay owner Peter Ilic said that though he had been nervous about running the promotion during the recession, it had "restored his faith in people's honesty."

The right food consultant can help you come up with exciting new concepts to fit your company successfully into today’s business climate.