The prices on the menu go up and down, up and down, up and down

That BLT-with-chips combo from your local bistro could soon cost $17 – or $8. It all depends on when you go.

Restaurants across the US are increasingly adopting dynamic pricing – where prices fluctuate based on demand and sales patterns – to boost sales and increase profits, according to a new report by the Wall Street Journal.

• Bartaco, a mostly East Coast-located restaurant chain, first started testing dynamic pricing for its app delivery orders last year, increasing to-go prices on its taco packs by 5%–10% during weekend peak hours and discounting them during slower weekday afternoons.
• Dave & Buster’s (and other chains) are experimenting with dynamic pricing to help spread out customer visits over a broader part of the day and better capitalize on rush periods.

This dynamic-pricing approach can have a positive impact on business… Shawn Walchef, owner of San Diego-based restaurant Cali BBQ, told the WSJ that implementing online dynamic pricing for its pulled-pork sandwich has boosted the restaurant’s $30,000 in monthly delivery sales by $1,500 – which is “very meaningful for a small business,” Walchef said.

… but it can have a negative impact, too. Just ask Wendy’s, which was recently forced to walk back clarify its planned dynamic-pricing approach following consumer backlash.

⚖️ The tightrope: According to a survey of 1,000 people by the National Restaurant Association, ~61% of adults support restaurants implementing variable pricing (meaning ~40% do not, and are already making a horror movie franchise called The Surge).