Diners influenced by waiter’s weight
by Leon Gettler
Here’s a tip for restaurants and cafes: when you’re hiring staff, check their weight.
According to a new study out of the United States, the weight of a restaurant’s waiter correlates with a diner’s decision to order additional drinks and dessert.
Researchers at the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University observed 457 diners in 60 casual American restaurants and then compared the BMI (Body Mass Index) of the diner to the BMI of the diner’s waitperson.
The study found diners were four times more likely to order dessert, and ordered 17 percent more alcohol when they were being served by a heavier waiter.
Tim Doering researcher at the Cornell Food and Brand Lab and lead author of the study said the weight of the waitperson gave diners “a license to order and eat what they want.”
“No one goes to a restaurant to start a diet,” says Doering. “…A fun, happy, heavy waiter, might lead a diner to say ‘What the heck’ and to cut loose a little.”
12th February 2016
