10 Dirty Psychological Tricks Restaurants Use To Make More Money, According To A Data Scientist

According to a popular saying, all is fair in love and war. But some apply this notion to the way they conduct business, too.

So, Dr. Hussein Naji is on a mission to educate himself and others on how they function.

Naji, who holds a Ph.D. in AI & Data Science for Healthcare, made a post on his Threads account last week, exposing the tricks within the restaurant industry designed to game our psychology and pick our pockets.

Learning about these practices is the first step toward protecting yourself from them.

More info: husseinnaji.beehiiv.com

There are so many laws controlling how we spend our money when eating out that it’s hard to notice when they take hold of us

A person dining in a restaurant, illustrating ways restaurants manipulate spending with elegant meal presentation.

Image credits: freepik

Here are a few collected by Dr. Hussein Naji that should provide a better understanding of what we’re paying for

Text image describing how restaurants manipulate spending using psychological tricks.

Text explaining how restaurants manipulate spending by using smaller plates to increase food satisfaction.

Text highlights how restaurants manipulate spending with plate sizes.

Text discussing how restaurants manipulate perception using big plates for fancier food arrangements.

Restaurants manipulate spending with fancy dish descriptions like "pan-seared Atlantic salmon with saffron-infused risotto.

Fancy descriptions boost restaurant revenue by 27%, influencing customer choices.

Text explaining how restaurants manipulate spending with menu design.

Man examining menu with waitress, illustrating restaurant manipulation tactics to encourage spending.

Image credits: freepik

Menu design uses eye-tracking studies to manipulate spending, highlighting the top right corner for attention.

Text describing how restaurants manipulate ordering habits with menu placement strategies.

Text explaining restaurants use the anchoring effect to make items appear more affordable.

Restaurants manipulate spending by leaving dessert menus on tables, increasing the likelihood of customers ordering dessert.

Text discussing how visual stimuli in restaurants influence dessert and alcohol orders.

Text about restaurant settings designed to manipulate spending, emphasizing decor, lighting, and music.

Text explaining how restaurants use music speed to manipulate customer behavior.

Chef garnishing dish, showcasing ways restaurants manipulate diners to spend more money.

Image credits: freepik

Text discussing how open kitchens in restaurants increase hunger, influencing spending habits.

Text about how restaurants manipulate customers using curved glasses.

Text discussing restaurant manipulation, emphasizing awareness of spending tricks.

Image credits: husseinnaji_

The author of the post told us that it shouldn’t be viewed as an attack on the restaurant industry

Man with a dark beard and a blue shirt, smiling, representing a scientist discussing restaurant spending strategies.

Image credits: Hussein Naji

“Marketing is basically a branch of psychology that just means: ‘How can we make people think they want to buy our product’ [and] I love learning about psychology because it helps me understand myself and the world better,” Dr. Naji explained to Bored Panda about the origins of his now-viral thread. “I didn’t intentionally research this topic—I just randomly stumbled upon it online and found it super interesting. So, I decided to dive a bit deeper.”

“It was funny—and maybe also a bit annoying—to realize that I’m not immune to psychological tricks and have fallen for most of them. I love reading things that help me improve, and I love sharing what I’ve learned with others because if it helped me, it might help them too.”

However, the scientist highlighted that the post wasn’t intended as a warning against restaurants being unethical. “I still love going to them. After all, restaurants are just businesses trying to sell their products.”

“If a restaurant serves great food, has a friendly staff that makes me feel comfortable, and provides a pleasant experience, then I can live with being tricked into ordering that extra dessert. Restaurants are awesome—not only for their delicious food but also because they’re fantastic places to socialize,” he added.

But, finding the exact line between ethical sales and client manipulation can be tricky. “I’d say transparency and intent are huge factors,” Dr. Naji said. “By transparency, I mean clearly communicating what the customer is buying without withholding important information or making misleading claims to push a sale. By intent, I mean that a sale should always aim to benefit the customer in some way.”

“The goal should be a win-win situation where both parties feel satisfied. So, getting me to order that extra dessert is sneaky but not unethical—I know exactly what I’m getting, and I’ll be happy with it ’cause I’m eating delicious pistachio ice cream.”

For the most part, it seems like dining establishments manage to do this, at least in the US. According to a report on the State of the Restaurant Industry  2025, many restaurant customers—including 64% of full-service customers and 47% of limited-service customers—say their dining experience is more important than the price of the meal.

Overall, the study found that 9 in 10 adults say they enjoy going to restaurants. So even if the businesses are pulling some strings, they haven’t gone off the rails yet. Unlike the tipping culture.

As the reactions poured in, a few extra observations emerged

Comments on restaurant manipulation tactics, discussing wine serving strategy.

Comments discussing how restaurants and businesses manipulate customers for more spending.

Social media comments discussing restaurant manipulation tactics.

Instagram post text critiquing methods restaurants use to encourage spending.

Social media post about how restaurants manipulate descriptions to entice spending.

Text post about a restaurant experience and questioning a server's recommendation.

Social media comment on restaurant spending tricks.

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