How to Lure the Spendy and the Thrifty? Bring On the Barbell.

At IHOP, would you choose the Dubai chocolate pancakes for $13, or an everyday value meal for $6? At Applebee’s, would you order a sesame salmon bowl for $23.49 or an all-you-can-eat dinner platter for $15.99? Are you looking to spend as little as possible for as much food as possible, or are you ready to splash out?The divide between consumers who are eager to take out their wallets and those pulling back is ever widening.And restaurant chains are trying to draw both types of diners by focusing on low-cost as well as more-premium options on either end of what is known as the “barbell.” The ends are robust, with offerings thinner in the middle.The so-called barbell pricing strategy is meant to “entice two different groups of people,” said Alex Susskind, a professor at Cornell focused on food and beverage management.

The term, which he said has been popular on and off in the food business for decades, has been on an upswing in a value-conscious time.How it’s pronounced/bär-bel/The chief executive of Red Robin, for example, said last month on an earnings call, “We continue to use a deliberate barbell approach to the menu, pairing accessible value with more-premium and indulgent options so guests can choose Red Robin across different occasions and spending levels.” The chief executive of Applebee’s said, “This is our barbell strategy and our marketing playbook in action, an accessible, value-driven all-you-can-eat campaign anchored in affordability, paired with a culturally resonant higher-priced indulgence that drove traffic and generated social buzz among the younger audience.” And the chief executive of Chili’s said on an earnings call this year, “We have the barbell strategy because not every guest wants the cheapest thing on the menu.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log i...