Updated Nov. 4, 2026
Restaurants can use psychology in many ways to influence diners and bring in new customers. For instance, to increase the amount of money a diner is willing to spend on their meal many restaurants don’t use dollar signs next to the price of menu items. It’s been shown that people are more likely to spend more without the dollar signs there to alert them to the cost. Tantalizing menu item descriptions entice diners to order more and pricier meals.
Bring new diners to your restaurant using these proven methods:
Social Proof:
Social proof is showing that other people think that dining at your restaurant is a good idea or other people like the menu item you are interested in trying.
Offer social proof by displaying reviews on your website and using them in promotions including email and social media. By promptly responding to customer complaints in reviews you show new customers that you care about what your customers think. People are swayed by the opinions of others, even by strangers! By providing a way for customers to like online menu items, you can show proof that certain dishes are customers’ favorites.
Sensory Appeal:
Appealing to multiple senses attracts people’s interest. This is something a restaurant can easily do with photos and videos of their food.
Post about your restaurant’s weekly specials on social media and remember to include photos of your meals. The photos should be visually appealing and well lit. Make sure to ask others if the photos make them hungry or not. Some food photography is taken too close up on food without considering the composition or the food items themselves. The colors are blah or the food is greasy looking. Staging is important for food photography. Learn more about how to make your food photography stand out.
Color and Emotion:
Color use can convey emotion and bring attention to your brand. Hunger is the main driver of a restaurant decision. Make sure your brand makes them feel hungry with warm appealing colors and tasty-looking food photography. Consistent use of your brand colors and fonts when promoting food items and events online is key to helping remind diners of your presence and bring them in the door or get them to place a delivery order.
Fitt's Law
Use limited time promotions with large calls to action in online and email promotions. Fitt’s Law that says the time to acquire a target is a function of the distance to and size of a target. By using order buttons or reservation buttons which are up to 1/3 the size of your promotion, you will attract more clicks.
