The Unexpected Way Restaurants Can Subtly Make You Spend More

Eating out is expensive enough these days, and restaurants are doing everything they can to make up for the lost costs. While the restaurant industry has bounced back to pre-pandemic levels of popularity, drive-thrus and takeout are essentially fueling the rebound, which has lead to a drastic drop in people's spending budget for traditional sit-down meals.

With that in mind, the industry has a few trade secrets that make diners want to subconsciously spend more at restaurants. Some of the secrets seem a little obvious, like how Mexican restaurants give free chips and salsa, and the salty chips encourage people to order more drinks. But one of the sneakier ways restaurants encourage people to order more is with music. Music can make or break a diner's experience, according to a study by Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) which shows how diners are much more likely to stay if they enjoy the music that is playing during a meal (though music and live bands can also ruin a dinner). More time in the restaurant means more orders, leading to more money going to the restaurant.

There are many aspects that need to meld together for a good meal out beyond just the food. Service, decor, and ambiance are all major players that keep people wanting to come back to certain restaurants. After all, if diners are enjoying the vibes as much as the food, they will naturally want to spend more time enjoying the space and will most likely place more orders.

Music actually has the power to be one of the biggest influences that make diners want to place more orders. A recent study by Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) and the National Research Group found that restaurants that host live music often report higher revenues. Lingering customers cause a major boost in sales, and some owners have reported that checks can be, on average, 5%-10% higher than on nights without live music, and revenues can get almost 25% more on nights that feature live music.

But even just the ambient music played on the speakers can be a huge influence on diners. The study showed that over 80% of diners would choose to stay longer in a restaurant if they liked the music being played, with 60% stating that they would happily order more from the menu in order to stay and listen. When focused on Millennial diners in particular, that percentage was over 70%, with music ranking as the second most important influence on how Millennials rate a bar or restaurant. 

For Gen Z diners, music ranks third in importance behind the quality of food and deals or promotions (Gen Z is, after all, the driving force behind "eatertainment"). Even more interestingly, 50% of diners said they would leave if the music is bad. So it seems that a combination of good food and good music can be a real recipe for a restaurant's success.