Mystery shopping provides you with a fun way to make money doing what you love – whether that’s watching movies, shopping, or the great American past-time of eating out! While many shoppers are more than thrilled to make money shopping at retail stores, others may be delighted to know they can earn extra cash while they eat at their favorite restaurants. But before you set off to do a restaurant shop, there are some things you need to know.
Limited Choices. You can find a restaurant mystery shop for all types of eateries. You can enjoy everything from a coffee shop or snack shop in the mall, to fast food or fine dining at a posh restaurant. However, just as with shopping in a store, there are specific requirements you have to meet. With a restaurant shop, more often than not you will be required to order certain menu items. Unfortunately, you rarely have the option to order anything you want. The requirement may range from the simple guideline of “Order an appetizer, an entrĂ©e, and a dessert” to requiring you to choose only between the two options of the Sea Bass and the Filet. Some fast food restaurants require that you shop alone, but order two entrees. Since all of your costs may not reimbursed, you may be required to order food you cannot possibly fully eat and may end up throwing away if you can’t find a doggy-bag to take it home in. So know what you are getting into before you jump into a restaurant shop.
The reason behind this is simple – those restaurants want to ensure that certain members of their kitchen staff are doing satisfactory work, or that items being served to you are the proper temperature and are received in a timely manner.
Bring A Dinner Guest? Many restaurant shops have very specific requirements in terms of who you can bring with you on your shop. Some may require that you come alone while others require that you must bring at least one or two other people with you. If the requirement is to bring a friend or two along, be sure that they are available on the date and time you need to do the shop and that they understand the importance of not cancelling on you at the last minute. If they can’t show up for some reason and you can’t find someone to fill their chair at the restaurant, you won’t be able to meet all of the shop requirements.
On the other hand, if you must dine alone, be sure you are comfortable eating in a restaurant solo. While some people are more than happy to go to a fast food or sit-down restaurant and spend thirty minutes to an hour people-watching and eating their meal, this makes other people very uncomfortable.
Fatten Your Wallet, Not Your Waistline. There is increasing coverage in the media lately about how even seemingly healthy menu items at restaurants, such as salads or wraps, can be surprisingly heavy on calories, carbs, and fat. While everyone enjoys dining out from time to time, dining out regularly is a surefire way to pack on the pounds. So be sureto space out your restaurant shops. Or if you must do several restaurant shops in a short period of time, try your hardest to make healthy choices. Skip the fatty dressings and sauces, fried foods, and sugary desserts, and try to find the healthy items on the menu.
Restaurant shops can be a lot of fun, and a great way to break up the same old routine of grocery store shops and clothing store shops. So enjoy a delicious meal on your provider, but keep these tips in mind as you shop and eat.
I am interested in restaurant MYSTERY SHOPPING!!
THANKS!
HI, I WOULD LIKE EATING ASSIGNMENTS AT PLACES IN SARASOTA, FL. NOKOMIS, FL. AND OSPREY, FL. IF POSSIBLE. THANK YOU SHERI FABER
Live in huntsville and love eating out please let me know on any mystery shopping resturant
i would like to do this i think it would be fun and learn something too
i’m a 56 year young attractive woman. i have a very outgoing personality. times are tough and jobs are scarce. my sister will be having her leg amputated this friday. i desperately need a job to be able to help with upcoming treatment that is going to be needed. i did work as a mystery shopper about ten years ago. i don’t remember the name of the company, but i do remember i loved doing the work. it was fun. i got to meet lots of nice people. i had some responsibility and it felt good to be relied upon. if you can use someone like me, please feel free to call me. sincerely, kathi
Years ago, my roommate did a couple of hotel shopping assignments for the Sheraton hotel chain. She asked me recently if I remembered the name of the shopping company and I don’t. Does anyone know what company shops the Sheraton or any other hotels/motels?
Thanks!
I have been mystery shopping for just over a year, and wow it’s amazing. I too agree that it is not all fun and games. You have to be objective and precise in everything you put into a report. I love the restaurant shops, and with 2 teens in the house, the left overs go fast. The drive thru/dine in shops do tend to wear me out, especially when they limit what you can ordr on each. I’m not a fan of certain restaurant’s chicken. Many also require cash payments, so reimbursement doesn’t seem so great when it’s 45 days later. I got started with no assistance really. I joined a company early on, before I knew a whole lot, that you paid and they sent you shops. I joined at the lowest level at least. I do see it advertised and suggested as a starting point by shop sites and by some MSPA site links. However, after applying to many of the sites they sent me to review, I stopped my membership. I have also googled mystery shopping and used forums. All of you are so supportive in helping and suggestions. Thanks for a great community to work within.
I love to eat out and to try new and exciting places and foods. I like the old standards also. It is enjoyable to eat out and to watch other people enjoy themselves and see how they also react to the service of a restaurant. Love to work for you and I will do a good job.
Janice Seese
Sound good to me. What’s the catch? Is there a fee to pay?
I feel that people are very interested in the type of service, quality and overall experience they
will have at restaurant shops-myself included.
Just finished a restaurant tonight.New one and we really enjoyed it and was able to watch the Super Bowl also. I have at least 8 dining shops this week alone. Hard sometimes to eat all that is required. Especially the ones that require a bottle of wine. Have one near San Francisco this week so a nice day trip with friends. Have two mexican restaurants this week, 4 casual restaurants and a couple of fast food. A busy week then a few smoothie locations to add in when I can this week or next. They make a nice pick me up when doing other assignments.
I like to do the restaurant shops. It’s a great way for my husband and I to go out when we would not usually spend the money on a regular basis. You do have to wait for your money, but I agree with the others on this site that if you put it on a credit card it’s worth the wait. I do see quite a few replies on this site asking for jobs? Like quite a few of us, I paid to join a site to get shops in the beginning, but this is not necessary. You can go to MSPA.org and get a list of companies and you can google “mystery shopping companies” as well. You will have to spend some time applying at all the companies and then will only get shops from a few, but this is part of the process. You don’t know which will have shops in your area, but you will not find out until you apply. I have been shopping for 2 years and still take the time to look for new company names that I haven’t applied to before. I hope this helps some of you.
I have been mystery shopping for 4 months now. I live at Morgantown, W.V.and would love to have more restaurant shops Could you refer me to some mystery shopping companys?
Thank You Fonda Merriman
I’m not working yet but like very much,going now to see what i have to do to start,good jobs are hard to find,renato
How do I get started for restaurant assignments? I was a waitress for 17 years including fast food, bartending and fine dining. I would make a great mystery eater. thanks mk
how do i get started ? I’ve been working in a restaurant for 15 years i would be great at it thanks
I would love to do some restaurant assignment. It would give me a change of pace from just doing banks and I really would like to try something different.
I live in Nova Scotia.,60 miles from Halifax, Dartmouth and 40 miles from New Glasgow. Any restaurant assignments in these areas?? I have done mystery shopping in clothing stores , also furniture,appliances. Thanks.
I see a lot of posts, do they get any reply. If so send more info
I Love to do Restaurant shops.YES you have to be very careful.If you don’t tip 20% you will NOT get paid. I was not paid for being 2 cents short on the tip. It was for a Copelands Cheesecake Bistro. It was an $85.00 shop and you need to spend every cent of it to order everything they request. Hooters is the only shop you can do every 30 days. (They pay $40.00 it almost covers the bill but not tax and tip.) All others are every 60 to 90 days.So get over yourselves and pass on the information. If They can’t jump thru all the hoops to do the job so what.How does that bother you.Some people are so SHALLOW. We need shoppers in the south.