CHICAGO, September 22, 2025 —The desire of consumers to tighten their belts—literally and figuratively—is prompting a wide array of restaurant operations to reduce their portion sizes.
The smaller servings provide the benefit of better suiting the eating habits of consumers using GLP-1 appetite suppressants, while also offering lower ticket options to price-sensitive patrons.
The operations also cite the positive side effect of reducing food waste, since less of a serving is left uneaten on the plate. Food costs are also reduced because the price of the scaled-down selection is decreased less than the volume of food served.
The Fat Duck, one of the world’s most celebrated fine-dining restaurants, has just introduced a new menu that celebrity chef-owner Heston Blumenthal praises for all those reasons. The Mindful Experience lists signature dishes of the United Kingdom restaurant that are now available in servings half to one-third the usual portion size.
The new array is squarely aimed at customers using GLP-1 drugs to lose weight. Those patrons typically feel sated after consuming portions closer to what are served as children-sized servings, as Blumenthal learned after beginning his regimen on Mounjaro, one of the appetite suppressants.
The smaller dishes have the advantage for dieters and non-dieters alike of being significantly less expensive than their full-sized counterparts, though the Mindful Experience array is hardly a Dollar Menu. A tasting menu of Mindful Experience items is priced at £275, or about $371, while a meal of full-sized portions costs £350, or $472.
Appealing to bargain-hunters is the main reason 40% of Olive Garden restaurants are now offering reduced portions of seven entree at a rolled-back price, according to Rick Cardenas, CEO of parent company Darden Restaurants. In disclosing the move to financial analysts last week, he noted that some consumers are reducing portions because of health concerns but drew no connection to widening use of GLP-1s.
The initiative began as a test early in the quarter ended Aug. 24, Cardenas said. “The initial response from guests has been encouraging, with affordability scores increasing 15 percentage points and high satisfaction with portion size,” he told analysts.
Though reduced in size and price, the smaller selections still come with the unlimited breadsticks and salad that are offered with full-size entrees.
In mid-spring, burger-and-fries specialist Clinton Hall in New York City introduced what it described as a “teeny weeny mini-meal,” a shrunken version of its signature. The Lilliputian-sized hamburger and scaled-down portion of fries is even accompanied by a miniature mug of beer.
The option is expressly aimed at customers using GLP-1 medications to curb their consumption. To drive home the point, each order comes with a syringe full of ketchup for the burger.
A survey conducted earlier this year on behalf of IFMA The Food Away from Home Association found that 6% of U.S. adult consumers were then using GLP-1 drugs to lose weight, and another 5% said they’d already completed a regimen of the injections. The research also revealed that 22% of the public is interested in trying the medications.
GLP-1s were initially okayed as an aid for consumers looking to avoid developing full-fledged Type II diabetes. The majority of current users have had it prescribed for its weight-loss benefits.
Access to the full GLP-1 study is available here.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.