Nearly 80% of operators
responding to a Land O'Lakes Foodwire survey, for example, said
that appetizer orders stimulate other sales, such as additional
drinks or desserts.
The appetizers also
open the restaurant up to a relatively new type of diner, the grazer.
Consumers as a whole, in fact, have shifted to more of a "grazing"
style of eating, and this has led appetizers to become a hot menu
selection. Three meals a day is no longer the thinking among much
of America. That mentality has given way to four or even five meal
parts per day and has also led to smaller meals, which are perfectly
suited for appetizers.