A Sweet Surprise

Satisfying A Sweet Tooth
Brio Tuscan Grille is doing amazing things with desserts: The restaurant will serve a very small portion of any dessert on the menu for only $2.25. (I’m holding a small serving of their cheesecake on the right.)

The size of the dessert is perfect – it’s about five or six bites. That’s all I really ever want for dessert anyway – just a few bites.

On the day that I went into Brio, I was full after eating my meal. I didn’t even want dessert. But after I saw that I could order just a small sample, I jumped at the chance, and so did everybody I was with.

No Thanks, I’m Full
Most restaurants sell enormous chocolate-on-top-of-chocolate fudge brownie concoctions for $11 that are too big for anyone person to eat. A table of four might order one of these desserts if they can agree that they’ll all eat four bites. But, if two people don’t want any part of it, then nobody orders anything.

That’s why Brio’s mini-desserts are brilliant. Nobody needs to agree on one dessert. Those who are full don’t have to eat anything. And, if someone is afraid they won’t like something, they can order the small dessert and try it out for only $2.25.

Supersize It
Brio also serves larger sizes of its desserts, but my waiter informed me that 90% of the desserts that the restaurant sells are in the small sizes. The restaurant even offers a discount on three small desserts or more. They encourage tables to order a few small desserts and give them each a try.

You can have a few bites of chocolate-on-top-of-chocolate fudge brownie, cheesecake, and rice pudding without breaking the bank – how many places can you afford to do that?

Add This to Your To-Do List
Are you giving customers a chance to sample your products or services at minimal cost? (Check out my previous post on micro-stakes for other examples.) Find ways to give your customers a chance to sample a variety of your products. Lower your price and the amount of product that you give them and let them sample several. How are you finding ways to offer customers small samples of your products? I’d love to hear your ideas.

There’s never a lack of ideas.

Comments

  1. KellyApril 01, 2009

    Hi Nick--I just discovered your blog. I like reading all your great ideas! Did you know that P.F. Chang's also sells small desserts for around $2? They come in a glass that looks sort of like a shot glass. Brilliant! (And tasty :))

    ReplyDelete

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