Why when I go into restaurants like Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday's or Applebee's I don't smell any of the food being cooked? What happened to the delicious aroma of grilled hamburgers and chicken or the smell of onions and garlic being sauteed?
I had a epiphany while watching Ratatouille, one of my all time favorite movies. I started thinking about the most recent restaurants I have visited and realized that there was something missing in many of the them. It was "scent". In places where the food was cooked behind closed doors or in the recesses of the restaurant, there was no smell. There were lots of interesting things to look at: pictures of old cars and old movie posters, brightly colored napkins and paintings of Italy. The wait staff was prompt and pleasant and the food was OK but it was missing the scent of a true restaurant.
Being able to smell the food being cooked gives me a sense of anticipation before I've even taken a bite. It helps me savor and enjoy my food much more then just eating it.
I have noticed a different trend in my favorite restaurants. They tended to be smaller and because of that I was able to smell and sometimes hear the food sizzling. There was a mixture of scent in the air: vinegar, grilling meat, saffron, basil, garlic, onion, all kinds of great smells. These places ranged from barbecue to fine dining, and many were small "mom and pop" run restaurants where I could sit right at the counter and smell and see the action on the grill. This is pure Scent Marketing by simply letting the natural fragrances get to your customers
Your homework: Next time you're out eating notice what you smell? Come back here and post it, I'd love to know the scents you detected.
While I type this post I've been baking fresh cinnamon rolls in the oven. I can smell the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon being heated. I don't know how they are going to taste but they smell awesome!
