An Overspent Sunday

Yesterday me and wife decided to go to an expensive rooftop restaurant at a posh area in my city. Accompanied by 3 other friend-couples.

I learned a few things about how human psychology works before handling over the money to buy something.

But more on that in the later part. First the story.

I don't usually like to overpay for food, but we had heard enough about this place and ever since my wife saw a few of her friends posing on its rooftop on Facebook, she had been nudging me to go there.

One fine Saturday (which was two days back) the same restaurant's pamphlet came hidden with the newspaper and those nudges turned into scary stares.

After almost 6 months of postponing my promises, we finally made it to the top (...top floor of that restaurant I mean :D).

It was a beautiful pool-side (or rather in-pool) restaurant setup at the top floor of this huge building.

A buffet arrangement where you could eat unlimited by paying Rs. 1000 (~$13) per adult and Rs. 500 per kid (above 5 years of age)

Every time I take my family to a restaurant that has à la carte arrangement, I usually pay around Rs. 350.00 per person. So the meal for me, wife and my 7yo cost around 1050.00.

So I was thinking this place better be different after paying 2.5X.

As we captured our reserved tables, the billing person approached us to prepay for our food. This is usually the norm in a buffet restaurant.

We paid Rs. 10,000.00 ($130.00) for 8 adults, 6 kids including 2 infants.

We then started doing for what we came for.

No, not food.

But clicking pics so we can show-off on social media that we are eating in an expensive restaurant. We do live in a fools paradise I must say.

After a while, two waiters approached us with food plates. Apparently the starters were supposed to be served on table while the main course was buffeted.

One after another, they brought 10 starters, only few of which were good.

There is also one more realization. More the items, lesser you eat. We felt we were already full without even reaching to the main course let alone dessert.

But then, as a person who seldom spends that much money on food, I wanted to make sure that we all make every cent that we spent count.

So after finishing the starters, we sat and chatted for about half n hour to let the stomach settle the starters to make way for the main course and dessert.

I was already feeling that I had enough so decided to take single bread and some yellow lentils.

After sitting there for about 2.5 hours, chatting, trying out whatever food was available and trying out dessert and mocktails, we finally got out at around 11:00 PM at night.

End of yet another week with Friends and Family. If you don't do that, start doing that. Only these memories last in the end.

The Learnings

Humans brains work mysteriously. The buying decisions are made based on a lot of factors.

Social Status - If something improves (or lies about improving) the social status, people purchase. Just like posting on social media about an expensive restaurant or buying an expensive iPhone gives a false sense of social status.

Apple knows this and uses the same tactics for selling their over-the-top price products. That cut fruit is indeed a status symbol.

Numbers - "Buy 2 Get 3 FREE" is better than "Buy 3 Get 2 FREE". When you get offers that show big numbers as FREE, you automatically tend to give it more attention.

We 14 humans combined did not eat food worth Rs.10,000 yesterday, but "you can eat everything unlimited" was the slogan in that pamphlet that caused those scary stares, that led to...you know what.

Social Affirmations - If your friend or somebody you dearly know pays for something and gives it a shoutout, your chances of paying for the same thing increases.

Would we have gone to that restaurant had my wife not check her friends' posts on Facebook? Probably not. (Let me be real honest here. I had to take her to that place sooner or later, no matter what I write here)

That's why companies ask for Feedback and Testimonials to feature you on their websites.

That was a good yesterday that gave some insights about how we can improve our offers for our business.

Those are the wisdom of the week.

What do you think?

Let me know in the replies. Connect with me on X or discord

Take care of your family and your loved ones.

Till next time 🙋🏻‍♂️

Anshul