Eating Out and the Appetite for Leisure

Abstract

Dining out is not a new social convention, however, its character has changed dramatically from being a necessity for those who travelled and had no choice of meals, say, at inns and wayfarers’ stations, to now being a source of entertainment and a valuable part of the economy of the leisure industries. The modern restaurateur has long known that people do not eat out just for the food. A smart decor, gimmick menu, performing waiters and a price list that promises a bargain, all give a decisive edge over the competition. When César Ritz styled the grand dining room at the Savoy Hotel in 1889 as a promenade for the bourgeoisie, he appeared well aware that the diners’ interests extended beyond the menu, and his success rested with meeting those social rather than gustatory needs (Norman, 1972). The recognizability of certain foods also works to make them appealing, not necessarily for their taste but for their familiar associations. For instance, national cuisine is a dubious construction as it is a conglomeration of various regional tastes, yet it works to make foods such as the hamburger, meat pie, croissant and sausage into an immediate source of recognition, identification and comfort (Richter, 2002: 180).