Mini Appetites, Mini Food
Recently, there has been a surge in restaurants that serve miniature food. “Why?” you might ask. Well, besides the cute aesthetics mini meals might bring, they are more practical than you may think. In today’s society, more and more people are starting to take GLP-1s: drugs that suppress appetite. In order to accommodate these users, restaurants are coming up with smaller and smaller portions of food, aiming to attract more customers.
Americans take GLP-1 medications, while around a third have shown some level of interest in them. Of the users, more than half of them started to eat out less often after being on the medications. Meanwhile, 63 percent of users who did go to restaurants ordered much less than usual.
Aristotle Hatzigeorgiou, the owner of several Clinton Hall restaurants in New York City, introduced a “teeny-weeny mini meal” to the menu after realizing how many people took GLP-1s. “I am always with someone who is taking Ozempic, Mounjaro, one of those things. They have one or two bites of food and a couple of sips of drinks, and they’re done,” he said.
Gary Wallach, managing partner at Renwick Hospitality Group in NYC, relates GLP-1 users to vegetarians or vegans looking for suitable places to eat. He said, “People ask themselves, ‘Is there something for me to get here?’” Consequently, he added snack boards to all of his restaurants, including Lulla and the Alderman.
Besides food, Ozempic or other related drugs can also reduce a person’s thirst for alcohol. This is why some places, such as Back Bar, have added mini cocktails. Back Bar’s beverage director Jason Hedges said, “Folks may not want to curb their drinking, but their bodies can’t tolerate it the way they once could.”
Some places have created menus specifically aimed towards GLP-1 users. For example, Smoothie King released a five-item “GLP-1 support menu” with options that are low in sugar and high in protein/fiber. “We wanted it to be easy for guests to see this section. We want to support our customers when they’re on this journey,” said Lori Primavera, the company’s vice president of research development and product marketing.
However, other restaurants are doing quite the opposite. They want to cater to all diners interested in smaller portions, even those who aren’t on GLP-1s. One such restaurant is Otto’s, which launched a “menu for one, small appetite” in May. Otto Trepasse, the owner, said, “[Customers] don’t have to go into why they are ordering it. They don’t have to feel awkward when they are here, and that is absolutely ideal.”
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/dining/ozempic-appetite-small-meals-restaurants.html
