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OZEMPIC SHRINKS BELLIES AND BURGERS
Some urban restaurants are trying to attract diners taking Ozempic and other weight-reducing drugs with miniature meals and tiny tasting menus to match their reduced appetites.
Clinton Hall, a popular Manhattan bar, introduced a “teeny-weeny mini meal.” For USD$8, diners get a bite-sized burger and 12 French fries paired with a miniature beer, margarita, or wine. With its two-ounce patty, 1.5 ounces of fries, and a five-ounce drink, it is a kid’s meal for adults.
Aristotle Hatzigeorgiou, the owner, introduced the special after seeing how many people in his own life were taking Ozempic, a drug used for weight loss because it suppresses appetites.
“I am always with someone who is taking Ozempic or one of those things,” he said. “They have one or two bites of food and a couple of sips of drink, and they are done.” He disliked the food waste created, and he was concerned diners would tire of paying for items they mostly discarded.
“I was worried that, as people’s belts were getting tighter, their wallets were also getting tighter,” he said.
Some restaurants, from fast-food chains to fine-dining establishments, are trying to satisfy shrinking appetites by offering dishes and deals designed to lure Ozempic users.
Eight to 10 percent of Americans are now taking fat-buster drugs, and 30 to 35 percent have expressed interest in taking them, according to an October 2024 report. Another survey found that more than 50 percent of users dined out less frequently since starting the medications. Still another report found that 63 percent of people on Ozempic order considerably less when they do go to restaurants.
“It used to only be the ladies who ate like birds,” said Dana Gunders, president of an organization that works to stop food waste. “Now you have a whole new market segment that wants smaller portions. I think restaurants which see that trend as an opportunity and feed that group are going to have a competitive advantage.”
Recently, it has become as common for diners to look for Ozempic-friendly menus as it is for them to seek vegetarian options.
At Lulla, an NYC Italian restaurant, there is a cocktail-hour box that provides up to four people with nine snack-sized items for USD$28. At The Alderman in Times Square, there is a section where people can build their own snack board with items like smoked duck breast or nuts.
Drugs like Ozempic have also reduced people’s cravings for alcohol, leading some restaurants to provide mini cocktails like the snaquiri, a tiny daiquiri.
“Folks may not want to curb their drinking, but their bodies cannot tolerate it the way they once could,” said Jason Hedges, Back Bar’s beverage director. He estimates the bar sells about 35 mini martinis a week compared with the 75 or 80 regular-sized ones.
Maria Rising, a content creator from Lansing, Michigan, was shocked when she visited an NYC Smoothie King fast-food place and saw the choices. “It was not like they had a single Ozempic-friendly milkshake,” she said, laughing. “They had a whole section on the menu. We can only hope that the other fast food places will do this. Can you imagine a high-protein McFlurry?”
Some restaurant owners do not feel the need to change. “While the use of Ozempic might be making an impact in the fast-food and casual dining sector, full-service restaurants that offer a unique experience are not impacted so much,” said John Meadow, who owns Scarpetta, an Italian restaurant with locations around the world.
Some restaurants are more discreet with their Ozempic menus. Many want to appeal to diners who just want smaller portions, regardless of why.
Otto’s, a French restaurant in London known for rich feasts of pressed duck, lobster soufflé and crêpes suzette, introduced a “menu for one with a small appetite.” The tasting menu, which costs £240 (about USD$325) per person, includes a king scallop, foie gras, lobster, chicken, and coconut ice cream.
The restaurant serves only about 40 diners a night, and the owner, Otto Tepasse, said it sells roughly six of the mini menus a week. But he does have one “menu-for-one” regular: an 80-year-old woman on an appetite-reduction medication who has already ordered that meal five times.
“We try to change some of the ingredients for her, so she does not get bored,” he said, laughing.
Mr. Tepasse said that by offering these menus, his business is meeting people where they are — the right thing to do for hospitality. He also loves that they can order by simply saying “menu for one.”
“They do not have to explain why they are ordering it,” he said. “They do not have to feel awkward when they are here, and that is absolutely ideal.”
So, if you have ever had to share your window seat with a plus-sized, middle-seat passenger, you can only applaud these new weight-loss trends. Jya you!
SOURCE: https://www.nytimes.com/
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