Whereas most restaurants believe, like the American School System, that when it comes to calories, the more the merrier, T.G.I. Friday’s, as noted in this Knowledge @ Wharton article, realizes that when it comes to healthy eating it is the right portion of the right food at the right price, not calories, that counts. As a result, they have introduced the “right portion, right price” menu where they have added six new smaller entrees to their line up that offer approximately one-third less food at one-third less cost.

Even though such a move has failed for other restaurants in the past, giving the nation’s well-recognized obesity problem, as partially documented in Super Size Me and Fast Food Nation, and the fact that Friday’s is reducing prices as well as portions, there’s a decent chance that such an initiative could work out well for Friday’s, especially since they are still offering regular sized offerings at the same price.

Besides, when you note that eating is both a taste sensation and a visual experience, there is a good chance that you can always counter the American belief that “more is better” with an appropriate presentation, as some of the finer restaurants do in bigger cities. After all, recent studies (referenced in the article) have dictated that the environment (or the amount of food served) plays a large role in how much we choose to eat, so serving the right amount with the right presentation might actually work. Regardless, it’s interesting.