Mighty Bites: How Small Portions Make a Big Impact

Serving small bites can increase profitability – a tactic based on simple science.

The first taste of a perfectly executed dish is mind-blowing, the second is great, the third is good – but taste buds become accustomed to the flavors and excitement wanes.

This science can help operators determine portion size and use it to their advantage by creating small plates with exciting new flavors.

So when the portion is just enough, the thrill stays high and leaves diners wanting more. That desire, chefs say, can entice guests to order more dishes, which can increase the check average.

Small Portions Drive Big Sales

Executive Chef David Costa has two Portuguese restaurants in San Jose, California, serving a tasting menu at Adega and snacky small bites at Petiscos. “Most guests visit Petiscos to enjoy a light meal with wine or cocktails,” Costa says. Tables order an average of four dishes per person, and the menu is divided into playful sections such as “Tentacles & Scales” for seafood and “Feathers & Bones” for poultry and red meat. There's a “Let's Get Started” section of finger food as well, including pastéis de bacalhau, a popular codfish cake that's a staple in Portugal.

“We find that by offering smaller dishes, guests end up ordering more dishes, and thus it leads to bigger sales,” Costa says. When guests enjoy their first bites, trust is established, and they'll more readily order multiple items throughout their meal, along with more drinks, he says. “We price our menu based on the moving average food cost for a total of four dishes, rather than each entrée.”

Encourage Guests to Try New Flavors

In New York, Chef Chetan Shetty separates his recently-opened Indian restaurant Passerine into two sections – a drawing room and a dining room, offering a more casual experience with small bites and drinks in the drawing room.

“In India, it's common to enjoy snacks with drinks, and I wanted to bring that cultural touch here,” Shetty says. “Small bites also serve as an approachable way to introduce diners to our cuisine at a lower price point, encouraging them to return for a full dining experience in our main dining room.” His snack menu is designed to pair with cocktails, and boosts profitability with customizable add-ons such as caviar to his scallion uttapam pancake with aged Comté.

“Our small bites are intentionally designed to be enjoyed in two to three bites, allowing guests to sample the entire menu without feeling too full,” he says. “Each dish is visually stunning and served cold, so it maintains its quality even if enjoyed at a slower pace.” Shetty recommends offering snacks that don't require cutlery; and vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options to be as inclusive as possible.

Begin with a Bang

Single-bite items are Chef/Owner Tyler Fenton's highest-selling items by quantity at BATA in Tucson, Arizona. There are always several options available, including tartlets, skewers and grilled meat, priced at $5 to $6 each. They've even done an ice cream sandwich dessert bite, although Fenton says he found the format worked better at the start of the meal.

“Guests love starting with something small and personal," he says. “We design them to pack a punch, so it's a fun and impactful way to begin.”

Generally, Fenton says that single bites have higher labor cost, but because they offer a lower food cost, they result in essentially the same margins as the rest of the menu. “I wanted to allow our guests to try as many dishes as possible, and the single bites give guests the added benefit of not requiring anyone else to join them.” It's also easy, and socially acceptable, to order seconds.

Flights of Fancy

Whether it's dips, skewers, sliders or desserts, flights can relieve diners from making decisions while adding surprises to the meal.

At Michelin-starred Kali in Los Angeles, Chef/Co-­Owner Kevin Meehan offers a flight of seasonal seafood bites in small bowls and shells over a bed of stones. Called “The Crowded Beach,” it's like “a little box of chocolates – visually and flavorfully diverse – meant to be impressive when it lands on the table,” Meehan says.

A colorful flight of dips amplifies standard bread service and is easy to premake in large batches, says Executive Chef Sezer Deniz, who hails from Turkey, where mezze platters are common. His royal mezze selection of dips is one of the best-selling appetizers at Kimpton EPIC's Area 31, including smoked tzatziki, hummus, muhammara and melitzanosalata.

While not new, flights give diners the chance to sample more flavors and expand the dining experience, even at breakfast and brunch. Snooze A.M. Eatery’s signature pancake flight allows guests to choose any three pancakes from the menu.