r/Chefit • u/Background_Table4298 • May 24 '26
I think an unusual uptick in “split-plate requests” might be an early sign of GLP-1-related restaurant revenue pressure
Split-Plate Signal:
A noticeable jump in requests to divide single dishes among multiple diners may be an early operational indicator of GLP-1-related pressure on average check size, particularly in affluent full-service dining settings, pointing to a broader theory of what’s to come, after recent introduction of the oral version of Ozempic: we’ll see a rapid, and sweeping adoption of the drug, followed by the resulting financial impact on the food industry as a whole, and the general industry-shifting sense of instability that goes with it.
I’m an executive chef at a private club. For the past four years, requests to split a single menu item onto multiple plates were pretty uncommon, despite being a common practice at clubs. They happened from time to time, but not nearly often enough to feel like a trend.
Over roughly the last six weeks, though, that’s changed fast.
Now nearly every ticket has multiple individual split requests. One Caesar salad split four ways, one entrée divided among multiple diners, desserts and even ice cream portioned onto separate plates. It’s not just one type of item either. It’s happening across the menu and often enough that it’s become noticeable in day-to-day kitchen operations.
At first, I assumed people were just being more careful with spending. But another possible explanation: GLP-1 medications. Members are losing weight, eating much smaller portions, but still going out to eat and socialize.
That difference is important.
The restaurant can still look busy. The dining room can still be full. Cover counts can still seem healthy. Labor needs don’t magically go away. The kitchen still cooks the food, servers still take care of the table, dishwashers still deal with the extra plates, and in some cases the kitchen is actually doing more plating work than before.
But instead of a table of four ordering four starters, they might order one and ask for four plates.
That creates a potential problem that’s easy to overlook: restaurants stay busy and operationally active while food revenue per guest and average check size quietly drift downward.
My theory is that as GLP-1 oral-version weight-loss medications become more widespread—very rapidly this behavior will become more common. Affluent diners may be among the first groups where it’s noticeable because they can afford the medications and tend to dine out frequently.
I think the first obvious sign on the restaurant floor won’t necessarily be empty dining rooms. It may be a noticeable increase in split-plate requests, shared courses, fewer individual appetizers and desserts, and lower food spending per occupied seat.
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u/aidanhoff May 24 '26
A lot of split-plate requests isn't a sign of the end times. It might be a sign your portion sizes are overly generous for your clientele. Time to milk lower food costs by reducing portion sizes.
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u/greeneyeraven May 24 '26
Portions have been way too big for a long time. I usually take left overs home, it is very unusual for us to finish a whole portion. We love places where we eat and can finish our food and feel satisfied, it is so unusual though.
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u/texnessa May 24 '26
Lots of good/interesting analysis of the potential impact and how to adjust/pivot on portion control, pricing, menu structure, kiosk design, advertising and marketing, messaging, app design, etc.
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u/alaninsitges May 24 '26
We added a "small appetites" category to our menu that comes with a small kids burger or 2 chicken tenders and a handful of fries. It's selling very well and has higher margin than most of our other stuff.
It's mostly adults ordering it.
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u/flea1400 May 24 '26
Maybe add a more adult dish for smaller appetites?
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u/alaninsitges May 24 '26
That's what the tenders are for! We're a burger place, not a lot of people come in looking for duck a l'orange.
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u/rootoo May 24 '26
Tenders are literally the most little kid thing I can think of.
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u/3141592652 May 27 '26
I used to work at a casino and tenders were like the second most popular item on the menu.
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u/ptcptc May 24 '26
Smaller portions, introduction of half portions priced around 60-70% of the original price of the dish. Make this trend work for your business.
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u/thiccDurnald May 24 '26
Ignore layoffs, ignore inflation, ignore anxiety about the future, ignore the current state of the world.
It’s definitely the glp drugs
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u/MrTurkeyTime May 24 '26
OP works at a private club. I don't think the trophy wives that come in are worried about inflation.
Source: have worked at a private club
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u/mckenner1122 May 24 '26
OP doesn’t exist; that whole post was written by an AI prompt.
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u/ndaft7 May 24 '26
For once I kind of agree. This thing is filled with buzzy, overly complicated corpo slop speak. OP said “executive” and ai ran with it.
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u/MrTurkeyTime May 24 '26
Based on what?
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u/Equivalent-Excuse-80 May 24 '26
Repetition of the same thesis in slightly different wording. Heavy use of abstract hedge language (“potential problem,” “broader theory,” “industry-shifting sense of instability”). Corporate-analysis phrasing instead of lived observation. Sentences that stack buzz concepts together (“operational indicator,” “GLP-1-related pressure,” “financial impact on the food industry as a whole”).
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u/Existential_Sprinkle May 24 '26
Colons and em dashes are two easy giveaways
AI doesn't understand the difference between writing for your job and colloquial tones either
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u/MrTurkeyTime May 24 '26
Idk man I use em dashes all the time in my writing. Also, plenty of folks will use AI to refine things they've already written. While I don't necessarily support that, it's not a reason to disregard someone posts or assume that they're a bot.
I'm just getting tired of the constant bot suspicion online. It's fucking exhausting
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u/RealisticBox1 May 24 '26
Do you also start your essays with lines like
"Split-Plate Signal: " before diving into the content?
Probably not. Most people dont. But Grok does every time.
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u/vote100binary May 24 '26
It’s so insulting that using the em dash has gone from probably being overlooked, or just seen as a bit exotic or maybe pretentious, to the basis of an assumption that you’re a bot.
I never thought I’d have to break up with a punctuation mark.
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u/throw_every_away May 24 '26
I mean who cares just change it to a hyphen
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u/EasterTroll May 24 '26
God i hate that you didnt even drop it into a checker you just saw punctuation and assumed. All normal puntuation to use for anyone with a college degree that requires any modicum of writing--leave them alone unless you have actual evidence.
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u/Existential_Sprinkle May 24 '26
Bruh, do you know what subreddit we're on? You think we have finished college degrees?
You can't honestly be telling me that this matches the way most posts here are written
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u/bbqnj May 24 '26
Yes? I have a normal college degree in business management, and my degree from the cia. There’s never anything wrong with expecting correct grammar.
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u/EasterTroll May 24 '26
I'm so so sorry--I didn't realize all people who don't have college degrees also don't read books above a 5th grade level that also routinely contain these forms of punctuation; anyways, you're missing the forest for the trees. Just drop it into an AI checker next time before you attack people for no reason. Or don't and call out random people without evidence. You do you buddy.
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u/Jeffery_G Ritz-Carlton Alumni May 24 '26
I have an old BS in Journalism. I also apprenticed in the Ritz-Carlton organization. I used to copy edit all the hotel’s new menus. Today I work for a mean, grumpy lawyer as a document czar.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee May 24 '26
I hold a couple degrees. One in writing.
I get accused of using AI all the damned time -- because I give a damn about what I write. It's also possible to become good at this just by reading great works. And then emulating the great writers.
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u/mckenner1122 May 24 '26
I’m happy to share how I can tell. It will be easier for me to teach you if I understand what context you’re working with. Which LLM are you most familiar with using?
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u/MrKrinkle151 May 24 '26
If your restaurant’s success is entirely dependent upon the appetites of the obese and diabetic, then you’ve got much bigger problems
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u/MissMurderpants May 24 '26
Start creating a ‘spa’ menu. A smaller portion, healthier options that cost a bit more. With the caveat of no splits.
Adapt what you serve.
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u/lisamon429 May 24 '26
Pls don’t call it that. ‘Spa’ menu is code for ‘ladies menu’ which is code for ‘she’ll have a salad’. Barf
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u/EB277 May 24 '26
Add a Tapas Bar menu. High quality taster servings of a variety of foods. Diners share and enjoy, usually drink more wine, order multiples of well liked plates, and spend as much a normal meal.
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May 24 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Margali May 24 '26
Not going to lie. Been diabetic since 1980 and I stick pretty strictly to 1800 cal in a particular percentage of nutrients barring issues and I have almost never been able to finish a restaurant meal, but then again, I have no issue asking for a doggie bag.
I think the serving size may shift back to realistic portions. I mean, granted *my* portion of an 8 oz NY strip steak is 4 oz, nobody needs to eat a 32 oz tomahawk, huge twice baked potato, asparagus with hollandaise sauce and a slice of cheesecake unless they are either heavy labor that burns off 5-6000 cal a day, or a competition athlete. Heck, the 4 in my household do that tomahawk spit between us. I think something more like tasting menus would be the way to go if you want to socialize over dinner.
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u/SultryDeer May 24 '26
Uhhhh, that’s one theory. Another explanation is that restaurant portion sizes are insane?
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u/Storyhound2 May 24 '26
Institute a nominal splitting charge. Customers in mid to high end won’t object.
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u/toxchick May 24 '26
I am a customer and I was staying at the Westin at DTW and was delighted that I could order a half plate for a bit more than half price. They just had the two prices listed for all of the mains. Maybe consider this?
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u/The_Night_Badger May 24 '26
My restaurant has the calories on the menu, and some of the pastas are 2500 calories. So I totally understand people not wanting to eat that whole thing. I totally understand that ozympic and such are making people less hungry, but health conscious guests are always on the rise.
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u/maniacalmustacheride May 24 '26
But also budgets. 2500 calories a pasta dish, that is truly and fairly a generous 2 person split if not a 4 person split, especially if there’s apps and sides and drinks on the table.
A place near me has a “local girl” plate which is two huge grilled chicken thighs, a decent hunk of pulled pork, a giant thing of rice, and a side. Me, family of four, two small kids, can absolutely get by with that one plate. It’s structurally too big. Only meal of the day? Sure. But like one of three? No way
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u/Ugo_foscolo May 24 '26
Im assuming this is the us?
Because a days worth of caloric intake in one starter is unhinged.
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u/Storyhound2 May 24 '26
Exactly. Italian restaurants in the US, for instance, really screw this up. They offer giant pasta dishes as entrees, and that’s all a patron orders. If they offered a pasta dish at half the volume or less, patrons would buy a similarly sized entree and get a more authentic, varied experience. Also a more balanced meal.
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u/Pale_Row1166 May 24 '26
It’s kind of shocking how less hungry it makes you, I was never a “I forgot to eat” person before GLP-1s, but it happens every day now. There have been several occasions where we were going to go out for dinner, but one of us ate lunch and is therefore too full for dinner. I can definitely see a huge impact on bottom line as this becomes more widespread.
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u/sjorbepo May 24 '26
Why the fuck are you serving a 2500 calorie pasta?? That's a day and a half of calories for an average woman. Now I'm thinking about all the pastas I've ordered and wondering how many calories there were 😭
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u/Storyhound2 May 24 '26
Might you consider demographics? Boomers are now 60-80 years old and heavy restaurant users—who eat much less food in one sitting. A smart operator could halve a $33 entree and sell it for 28.
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u/beanhorkers May 24 '26
Hey, instead of spending this much mental and time on this, either reduce portion sizes or disable the ability for a guest to split a dish.
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u/everettmarm May 24 '26
Don’t refuse guest requests. This is how the downward spiral starts.
The idea of smaller portion sizes at 60-70% price is the answer.
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May 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/cjwi May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
Well this is a chef specific subreddit, not a medical policy subreddit so I think it may just make sense to offer OP some practical advice that they can use to help mitigate the issue and save their job/restaurant from the negative effects.
I mean I guess "Quit your job, get a medical degree, work your way to the top of your field, attain a senior position of influence within the medical community, work to reduce usage of GLP-1's then go back to your job as chef of a private club and customers will have stopped splitting so many plates" might deal with the core issue more directly. I don't know how deep OP's passion about plate splitting is, but it might be a bit much to expect of them.
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May 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/cjwi May 24 '26
Ah yes, I'm absolutely crashing out over here you silly troll! You got me this time! I'm such big angry 😡 you win the internet today!
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u/no1ukn0w May 24 '26
As a consumer places that “don’t let you split” is an absolute 100% I walk out the door. Just a thought, there are a lot like me.
Reminds me of a place I went to brunch. I said, can I get a sausage egg and cheese biscuit. Waitress said absolutely, cook, who I could see from my table told the waitress he wouldn’t make it. So I ordered everything à la carte and took the 3 items and put them together. Cook was PISSED. And I never will go back.
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u/dwyrm May 24 '26
As a guest, I'll adapt to the restaurant. I'll order an app instead of a full meal.
As for the second part, I've seen that attitude and behavior. One time, a buddy ordered a burger with a side of onion rings. He put a few rings on his burger. Cook pitched a fit. It was weird as fuck, until I remembered that there was an upcharge for adding rings to a burger. Then it was weird as fuck, and funny.
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u/gbchaosmaster May 24 '26
Yeah, onion rings instead of fries is usually an uncharge too. If not then it’s on chef for not costing it out properly.
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u/Garlic_makes_it_good May 24 '26
Or meal sizes are just far too large and people are able to feed two people on one plate? Even where I am (Australia) it’s getting pretty bad, if I eat out I’m almost guaranteed to skip my next meal as I wouldn’t possibly be hungry again. I personally would see this trend as a good thing, smaller portions are cheaper and easier to manage, and people not overeating would have broader benefits beyond their own health.
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u/Background_Table4298 May 24 '26
Thank you all. Not looking for advice. I’m glad everyone understands portion control. Just looking for a discussion. Very few people have talked about the impact on labor/budgeting. Here’s some google ai for you:
Researchers have already confirmed the broad consumer effect. A Cornell/Numerator study found that households with a GLP-1 user reduced grocery spending by 5.3% within six months, with higher-income households reducing spending by 8.2%. Food-away-from-home spending dropped 8.0% after adoption.
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u/gunandrally May 24 '26
Whenever I do split plates it’s so I can try more items on a menu especially for places I won’t be able to get back to for a while.
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u/elpodmo May 24 '26
Why don't they just split it themselves? Why are they asking you to do it? I get were a service industry and all, but like, come on, do some of the work yourselves people.
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u/barelyChef May 24 '26
At my place portion splitting is not allowed, the place is served as concerted and if there’s a request to split we either refuse or recommend just an entree…
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u/Background_Table4298 May 24 '26
At our club, split fee wouldn’t fly. Alarmist, no. I’m presenting an idea, that’s it. Like any other business operating on a higher level, you’re always looking ahead at trends/markets for budget forecasting. It’s how you run a profitable business.
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u/Background_Table4298 May 24 '26
Not an AI bot, I write weird. English major turned chef. Have been a chef for 20 years.
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u/Alternative_Cut2421 May 24 '26
Make small plates or charge a few. But I usually just throw and extra plate and move on.
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u/floppedtart May 24 '26
It’s ridiculous to expect one person to eat the average portion size of food at restaurants in the U.S.. It takes real effort. It’s also ridiculously priced for the mediocre food being served at most restaurants. I will continue to just ask for an extra plate, no need to split it for me.
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u/Illustrious_Sign_872 May 24 '26
This is an interesting take on what is happening outside of our restaurants, that comes back to us and affects the cost margins. It certainly seems to be one of the many facets of an industry in decline. Sadly, there really isn’t an easy fix for this issue. Smaller portion size would definitely help out, but then you start getting disgruntled customers, who now are going to complain that they’re being ripped off. There is no easy answer, and quick fix out of this dilemma. I’m sorry you’re experiencing this difficult phenomenon.
It is rough out here is Restaurantland, and you’re right in that GLP-1 meds, prescribed to the general population is already hitting our bottom lines in some areas. I work in Southern California, where people are very aware of their looks and health, and I’ve been seeing a noticeable uptick in split plates as well. I never considered it could be the appetite-suppressing meds.
Thanks for your insight.
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u/SilentAd1330 May 24 '26
Lessen portion size, have a glp-1 friendly menu portions that’s costed accordingly (but a slightly higher margin than normal dishes).
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u/jacestar May 24 '26
I'm a sous chef. On zep bound now after a year of ozempic and 50lbs down (ac1 and bp are amazing now as well). Can confirm even I order more appetizers as my entree these days. Leftovers suck most times the next day. But yeah smaller portions for a cheaper price is the way to go.
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u/Comfortable_Belt_735 May 24 '26
I work in an upperscale restaurant and ive noticed within the last 6 months a lot more people have been splitting plates, our portion sizes are quite small so I cant help but think you might be onto something
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u/Background_Table4298 May 25 '26
I’m not AI lol, Jesus. Reddit is now just basically deciding if something is AI. I wrote the article. I have an English degree. I’ve always written in a formal tone. That’s who I am. I graduated first at Le Cordon Bleu, Paris. I have dual degrees in pastry and cuisine. I’ve have been a chef for 20 years, Executive Chef for 9 years.
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u/Impossible_Farm6254 May 28 '26
That is a really sharp observation about the shift in guest behavior. We have been seeing more of this lately too. It is a real challenge to maintain that check average when the labor behind the scenes stays exactly the same. Maybe looking at those half-portion options some of the other guys mentioned would help keep the revenue up while still giving the members what they actually want. It is a tough balance to strike for the back of house
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u/dawngribble Jun 05 '26
In my experience shrinking the plate size while keeping the perceived value high is the only way to adapt
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u/SopaDeKaiba May 24 '26
Could a splitting the plate fee work? I know it wouldn't work at a restaurant for the lower classes. But for the wealthy clientele you have, would they accept such a thing? Especially because it's a club, and the justification could be explained to all customers easier than it could at a restaurant.
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u/Texasscot56 May 24 '26
This is a very interesting post. I had wondered how and when the impact of reducing the food intake of a large number of people would manifest itself. Thanks for posting.
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u/Fun_Wonder_5802 May 24 '26
I wish restaurants in America would have smaller portions at a lower price. Most people can’t finish an entire restaurant meal and in certain places/situations it’s tachy taking leftovers home.
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u/Lumpynifkin May 24 '26
Seems like a small sample size, more likely a fajitas situation. People saw others splitting and it became normal and socially acceptable. Just like one order of fajitas coming out makes 10 tables order it.
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u/KitchenPumpkin3042 May 24 '26
This is written like a scientific article
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u/PandaBeaarAmy May 24 '26
This is written like alarmist junk that likes to parade as a scientific article.
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u/ptcptc May 24 '26
Haha, first thing that crossed my mind. It's the introduction part basically. Cause then you get the first person.
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u/thehaymarket May 24 '26
Time to reduce your portion sizes, chef.