Do you have less difficulty than before finishing your plates at a restaurant? It may not be your appetite that is to blame. The size of the dishes seems to be undergoing a trend of reduction. According to a survey carried out by the Association Restauration Québec (ARQ) among its members last October, 76.9% of the 320 respondents indicated that they had reduced some of their portions to cope with inflation.
“Restaurateurs have to do a lot of gymnastics, because of costs which are increasing everywhere, including food and salaries, so that prices remain affordable for customers,” indicates Martin Vézina, vice-president of public affairs for the ARQ .
His association wanted to learn about the strategies implemented by entrepreneurs. Result: 78.1% of respondents have changed some of their practices in the kitchen or in the management of their establishments, 40% have replaced certain products with cheaper options, 36.9% have reduced their menus. In short, the menus have undergone significant transformations.
“This kind of thing was already done before. Except that it has accelerated, because costs are increasing more quickly, believes Mr. Vézina. We have reached the psychological threshold where the consumer, if he sees that prices are increasing even more, will change his consumption towards perhaps a much greater reduction in his restaurant outings. »
These kinds of changes do not go unnoticed. According to a report published in November 2023 by the Agri-Food Analytical Sciences Laboratory at Dalhousie University in collaboration with Caddle, 68.2% of Canadians have observed a reduction in restaurant portions. In the United States, consumers began to complain about “reduflation” in 2022 (shrinkflation in English) in their online reviews of various restaurants, according to a report from the Yelp platform.
Among the ten restaurants that answered the questions of the Duty on this subject, none admitted to having reduced the portions of the dishes on their menus. Some have even said they are categorically against this practice. Many restaurateurs ignored our requests for information. Mr. Vézina is not surprised that restaurateurs prefer to remain discreet on this subject, since they are aware that public perception could be negative. According to him, the reductions are made “little by little”, so as not to make customers feel like they are being cheated.
New, more modest dishes
Several restaurateurs have, however, recognized that the dishes they add to their menus tend to be more modest, both in terms of their size and composition and their prices.
“We have been working on the portions for two years,” says Pierre-Vincent Lemieux, co-owner of the Théophile and Place Deschamps wine bars. We have reduced them a little, but not that much, because we want people to get value for their money. » Mr. Lemieux says he especially makes a lot of effort to find raw materials at a good price.
In several restaurants, lesser-known and less expensive cuts of meat, such as scoter or shoulder, have replaced entrecôte or sirloin steak. Some more expensive foods are now offered as extras rather than being included in meals straight away.
“The way we compose our dishes is different,” reports Jean-François Dubé, president of La Cage – Brasserie sportif. Before, there was a little more protein. There, there is protein, still, different, but thanks to a mixture with starches and other elements, we arrive at a balance of cost and pleasant taste. » The latter emphasizes that the brand will launch tofu sticks this summer, which would have been unimaginable a few years ago.
The Le Coup Monte restaurants, in Lanaudière, had openly reduced portions and prices in 2023. Their chef-owner, however, reversed course a few months ago, noting that his traffic had not increased. Furthermore, the lower bills were not advantageous for paying fixed costs, which had not decreased.
“People appreciated that it cost less, but they also saw that it was no longer like before,” says Mathieu Perreault-Jessery. My turnover is up 15% even though I have increased my prices with my portions. »
The proliferation of small plates to share
“It is not true that by only cutting portions, the business model will become sustainable,” rightly asserts Robert Laporte, professor and researcher at the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality of Quebec. The latter believes that restaurateurs must find a balance between affordability and generosity. According to him, transparency is a profitable strategy. To accommodate customers with limited appetites or budgets, we can, for example, offer half-portions in addition to regular portions.
What is certain is that, to survive this period of turbulence, restaurateurs must reinvent themselves, believes Mr. Laporte. Develop a vegetarian offering, emphasize dishes to share, design a menu without waste, offer fixed menus upon reservation: the strategies are even more varied than the types of restaurants.
The owners of the gourmet restaurant Chardo, in Bromont, have decided to dive head first into a brand new concept. “This fall, it no longer made any sense. To remain profitable, we would have had to continue to increase prices and that led to bills that we found a little absurd. We wanted to be accessible, reports Amélie Dubé-Ringuet. We said to ourselves: either we close or we change. »
His team chose the second option. The establishment reopened this week as a wine bar focused on small dishes to enjoy and share. The ingredients are less refined and less expensive, even if the cuisine remains creative. There will be “a little less caviar and mushrooms fancy », says the co-owner. A “starter” version of their flagship dish, carrot risotto, will now be offered in addition to the meal version.
In addition to favoring slightly lighter bills, the formula, believes the latter, is “in vogue”, corresponding to people’s desire to taste several dishes.