Decision Analyst, a marketing research/consulting firm, concluded from a recent nationwide survey that the majority of Americans (57%) believe some restaurants serve portions that are too large. Of the 4,000+ respondents, those who, when eating out, “try to make healthy choices” were more likely to feel this way (70%) than those who “don’t worry about nutrition” (53%). By gender, 67% of women said portions are too large compared to 47% of men; as did 68% of diners aged 65+ compared to 55% aged 18-24. The survey also showed that the higher the annual income, the more likely the consumer is to believe that portions are too large.

Source: Decision Analyst, Inc.

So, while restaurateurs often consider that value and portion size are linked in the minds of consumers, one size does not seem to fit all. It may be that the answer is more – choice, that is. The latest National Restaurant Association Operator Survey shows that 27% of family-, 20% of casual-, and 10% of fine-dining operators increased the number of portion size choices in 2007. The result: 66% of consumers surveyed by the NRA said that sit-down tableservice restaurants make it easy to choose the right portion size – which may be a win/win scenario for all concerned.