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.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/business/barbell-pricing-restaurants.html