What is the story about?
Restaurants across the United States are increasingly adopting smaller portion sizes to cater to budget-conscious consumers and those seeking healthier
meal options. This trend includes the introduction of special menus featuring petite portions at various dining establishments, from large chains like Olive Garden and The Cheesecake Factory to independent urban eateries.
Meeting Diverse Needs
Restaurants aim to accommodate various diners by offering smaller servings that extend beyond the traditional children's menu. Many customers express a desire to spend less when dining out, while others prioritize healthier eating or weight management. Maeve Webster, president of the culinary consulting firm Menu Matters, noted that younger consumers tend to favor snacking throughout the day and prefer smaller meals.“These are really driven by, I think, changes in the way people are thinking about their relationship with food, the way they spend money on food, what is a good value and what’s not,” Webster stated.
Value-Oriented Menus
Beth Tipton, co-owner of Daniel Girls Farmhouse Restaurant in Connersville, Indiana, launched an eight-item Mini Meals menu last fall in response to customer requests for smaller portions. This menu features daily specials, such as a half piece of meatloaf served with green beans, mashed potatoes, and gravy for $8, which now constitutes about 20% of the restaurant's orders.Tipton explained that older adults represent approximately half of the restaurant's clientele, with some customers indicating that the standard menu was financially burdensome. Having undergone weight-loss surgery herself, she recognized the challenges adults face when attempting to order from children's menus.
“We wanted it to be available to all without the word ‘kids meals’ attached,” Tipton remarked. “With the rising costs all around us we wanted to help in any way we can, and this is a great option.”
GLP-1 Menu Options
In addition to smaller portions, some restaurants are developing menus to cater to users of GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes medications, such as Zepbound and Ozempic. Restaurateur Barry Gutin encountered two friends last fall who were using GLP-1s and found it difficult to locate suitable meals that aligned with their dietary restrictions and smaller appetites.Gutin, who co-owns Cuba Libre Restaurant and Rum Bar across several locations, collaborated with a weight-loss specialist and the restaurant's culinary director to create the GLP-Wonderful menu, designed specifically for these patrons.
The menu features five classic Cuban dishes, with Gutin highlighting that the pollo asado, which typically contains nearly 1,000 calories, has been reduced to 400 calories while maintaining a high protein and fiber content. The goal was to ensure that the meals remained appealing and enjoyable.
“Many times when people are on those kind of regimes, they feel that they can’t do the same as everybody else. So we wanted to show them, yes, at Cuba Libre, you can,” Roque stated.
Gutin observed a positive response to the GLP-Wonderful menu, estimating that each location serves 10 to 20 groups weekly with at least one member requesting this option. “People say, ‘Thank you for serving us’,” he added.
Larger Chains Embrace Smaller Portions
Olive Garden, which introduced its seven-item 'Lighter Portions' menu nationwide in January, recognized GLP-1 users as a target demographic. The chain also aims to attract customers seeking healthier and more affordable dining options, according to Rick Cardenas, president and CEO of Darden Restaurants, Olive Garden's parent company.“There is a consumer group out there that believes in abundance, but abundance is different for everybody,” Cardenas mentioned during a conference call with investors in September. “So consumers can choose. We’re not changing our entire menu to make it a smaller portion.”
Similarly, P.F. Chang's began offering medium-sized portions last fall, while The Cheesecake Factory introduced smaller, lower-priced Bites and Bowls last summer. TGI Fridays has also started testing an 'Eat Like A Kid' menu featuring smaller servings.
A Shift Towards Smaller Portions
While smaller portions are not a new concept, their recent resurgence reflects a potential long-term shift in dining preferences. According to Webster, this trend is not confined to a specific cuisine and may be influenced by growing consumer awareness of food waste, as smaller portions can help address these concerns.“I think it is a core need that consumers have, and a demand that has been lingering under the surface for a long time because restaurant meals, particularly at chains, have become so large,” she stated. “Sure, it sounds great to take leftovers home, but they never taste as good.”
During a visit to Shelburne, Vermont, Jack Pless appreciated the Teeny Tuesday menu at Barkeaters Restaurant, which emphasizes locally sourced ingredients. Pless, in his 60s and a former restaurant owner, noted that he can no longer consume large meals.
“So many times you go out to restaurants, especially me or my wife, and we’ll take home a box and it’ll sit in the refrigerator for two, three days and start to grow a beard,” he remarked.
Julie Finestone, co-owner of Barkeaters, introduced the Teeny Tuesday menu last month to attract more weekday customers during winter. Despite initial concerns about the cost of offering lower-priced options, such as $12 reuben sliders, she found that the decision has boosted business more than expected.
Finestone expressed confidence that Teeny Tuesday will become a permanent feature. “Some people, it’s dietary. Some have smaller appetites. Some people don’t like to overindulge in the middle of the week,” she noted. “I think that it just spoke to people.”
