2 Restaurant Owners Urge Diners to Ask Specialty Questions for Better Menu Picks

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 9

Two restaurant owners said diners get better menu guidance by asking what a restaurant is known for or what a server would order that night, rather than simply asking for a personal favorite.
Stephanie Mell of ChurchStreet Family Restaurant said those questions open a conversation about mood, allergies, drinks and portion preferences, helping staff match dishes to the guest instead of the server.
Robert Mahon of Mahon Hospitality said asking what a server would order that day can surface the freshest dishes and the items being executed especially well, while also pointing diners toward crowd favorites.
Both owners said the goal is a more personalized dining experience, with servers trained to recommend dishes based on what the restaurant does best and what the guest wants.

Sources

With tipping fatigue on the rise, can simply asking a better question at dinner actually increase a server's earnings?

Is asking for the 'specialty' a savvy dining hack or a restaurant's trick to sell you its most profitable dish?

As AI offers perfect recommendations, is the human element of hospitality becoming obsolete in our dining experiences?