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 like to have all the Restaurant shops I can get.Sent to my e-mail when one need to be done. in the Huntsville,AL. and Decatur,Al. madison, Al. area.
I have done expensive upscale, family style, chain and fast food restaurants.
I recommend the experience. All good.
They would be more fun if a debit card was provided. Putting our money up front doesn’t feel so good.
I don’t mind putting up the money as much as the time frame to get reimbursed for the expense. The fast food company that requires a drive thru and a sit down with only one person is a sure way to get spotted as a shopper and is a difficult and time consuming shop to do because of all the timing requirements.
I love doing restaurant shops. Fine dining is my favorite since I am too frugal to spend that kind of money on myself on a regular basis. My husband is a great partner,he remembers everyone’s names so all I have to do is remember all the timings and the events. The key is to record the info as you go. If you have a phone that has a memo page it works best. I agree about the restrictions it should be anything you want as long as you stay within budget. I am weight conscious and do not like to eat too many fattening items, but the kids like getting the leftovers. So I guess its a fair trade.
i need to find out if i can start as a mystery shopper and also works on focus group
thanks
christy.
It sure would be nice that when we do a restaurant shop, that we don’t have to wait so long to get reimbursed.
I like restaurant shops, great way to eat out, but it is hard to have your own money tied up for about a month.
I like restaurant shops. I try to always put it on my charge card so that when the payment comes I can apply it to the charge card instead of being out of pocket for a month. I like the carry out shops and frequently find that I can feed a family of 3 by stretching the food with a salad & bread, etc.
The fast food with the eat in and drive thru is one I use my cell phone on. I use the stop watch and pretend I’m talking to someone. I usually am saying something like “You could have called before I left so I didn’t have to do drive thru too” when one of the employees can overhear me. But from my experience of working in the hospitality industry, customers are wacky and you can never account for what they are going to do. So I doubt the fast food employees pay too much attention to my behaviour. I just try to be nice and friendly as I would ordinarily be.
I had never been to a Sports Bar until I received a casual dining shop. That was the bomb, and with all of those TV’s going, each on a different sport!! Unfortunately, I am one male who is NOT into sports spectating. But it was interesting, and I’ve done 3 or 4 this year.
Like some of the others, I do not enjoy putting money out front!! Unlike most shoppers, I do NOT have deep pocket$, so to put money out there, then have to wait 30 – 45 days to receive a reimbursement, is NOT attractive at all. I am now at the point that unless there’s a shopper fee, I will not even consider doing a food shop. What’s the use in eating somewhere, I wouldn’t normally, then waiting a long time for the re~imbursement!!
Thanks for the article!
(btw ~ if you could pass on to Ms Belinda, that my Mom’s maiden name is Lightfoot, and I am curious if we have Relatives in Decatur, Huntsville, and/or surrounding area! Thx.)
I agree Angalifu. I’m open to taking a restaurant shop if there is a fee involved. And I try to negotiate a fee if at all possible before I agree to take the shop.
Typically the reimbursement for most shops does not account for 2 eating, bar bill, tax and the tip.
And restaurant prices have gone up in my area.
And 45 days before your pay cannot make you think you are getting a “free meal” It’s not free you are paying to shop.
right I do a few various shops but I am interested in restaurant shops.
how do I sign up?
There are some fantastic restaurant shops available. I, just last week, did a 5 star restaurant, the bill for 2 was $200 and I do not care if I have to wait a month as it is on a credit card. These are good ones for good shoppers so make your msc appreciate you and they may favor you with one. Try Coyle Hospitality for some high price shops.
they are strict and tough on shoppers but it is worth it as they happen to be honest.
I am trying to find a another job along with mind but can’t seem to find one If I am going to work I am not paying someone to start that is all a scam.So is there a mysteryshopper were I can join today
so is there a job I can start I would love to try it but there is so many so how do I pick the right one could you help me out
I am interested in doing a resturant job.
I am interested in doing a resturant shop, can you tell me more.
I net more mystery shopping like restaurant shop.Tell he what to do get better mystery shopping job.
For those interested in doing restaurant jobs, check out the Mystery Shopping Association, take their free on line training/tips and follow their advice and the advice given in these articles.
I am interested in restaurant shops i think it would be good to do restaurants for a shop.