Walk in to many restaurants these days and you will see that the amount of options available to diners is dwindling from the previous novels a patron would have to read through in order to choose what they will be eating for dinner. Large menus originated when operations wanted to give their customers a choice in order to draw them in. When you can get whatever you crave from a single restaurant, why dabble anywhere else? But now it seems there is a growing culture among Americans who liken themselves to food critics—and as our palates become more refined we are navigating towards quality over quantity. Smaller menus lend themselves to a sort of creativity and expertise that larger menus don’t (can’t?) allow for. And fewer items also allows for better execution.  And remembering last week’s trend, we already know that diners just love to photograph their gorgeous meal before the dig in!

Additionally, 2015 will continue downsizing portions as more Americans are choosing to eat healthier, avoid heavier foods, and make their calories count. Smaller plates are a great option for controlling portion size, and although many restaurants allow diners the option of bigger or smaller sizes of certain menu items, the growing trend is a shrinking plate. And the demand for small desserts will also continue to grow. Customers are more likely to splurge on smaller dishes to satisfy a craving—without a huge hit to their diet OR their pocketbook.

Finally, serving up appetizers that are lighter and shareable encourage conversation. Diners can focus on chatting over their meal rather than on finishing a large plate of food placed in front of them. Some restaurants have even taken to creating a “social plates” category on their menus and advocate sharing or simply ordering the smaller fare as an entrée.

Restaurants shouldn’t go in to panic mode, though. It may seem daunting, making these mini-versions of regular menu items, or encouraging customers to order from an appetizer menu and share fare.  But there are some benefits to shrinking down your menus and decreasing serving sizes. After your menu is pared down, there won’t be as many items to offer smaller versions of. As America is still reeling from the recession, smaller, less expensive items may be a perfect way to get customers on a tight budget through the front door of your restaurant. And if your operation has a bar, this smaller fare provides a bridge to entice your bar patrons to try your restaurant. At the very least, customers will appreciate being allowed to try new things without having to fully “commit” to their meal. Small packages could be a very good thing for diners and restaurant operations alike!

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