Foo - Why do restaurants not list their non alcoholic beverages on their menu's?

Why is this? Almost every place does not. Does anybody know why?

What places are you talking about? Assuming the alcoholic beverages are listed--not in a separate book of wine choices--I almost always am able to find non-alcoholic beverages on the menu. Often tucked away somewhere, but on the menu nonetheless.

1. Menus, not menu's.

2. Are you talking about soft drinks/tea/coffee/juice? I've personally never seen a menu that didn't include these items. Maybe they're so ubiquitous that the restaurant assumes you know its an available item...

I do know what you are talking about and I would put a hefty wager on it being because the alcoholic beverages as the ones where the money is to be made. The profit form the sale of a alcoholic drink is much higher than that of a non-alcoholic drink in most cases.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong...

It's a $$$ thing!

Alcohol has a very high markup, no free refills, and probably leads to other (or bigger) purchases later in the night (more alcohol, more expensive food, etc.)

they do.. I know we do.. you have your sodas listed on the menue, including coofee, tea, cappacino and then on the wine list you get your non alcoholic beers and daiqueris ect..

Yes, alcohol is a high profit margin item, but so is soda/tea/coffee. Much higher profit margin than food. If it were just about $$$, you would remove some of the less profitable food items from the menu to make room for the drinks.

I do know what you are talking about and I would put a hefty wager on it being because the alcoholic beverages as the ones where the money is to be made. The profit form the sale of a alcoholic drink is much higher than that of a non-alcoholic drink in most cases.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong...
right and wrong, I know all the restaurant I frequent do have a wine list and beer prices. Makes sense, why would you buy ANYTHING in blind faith? but you are right about where the profit is.. it's not in the food, it is in all beverages, the bar is where you make your most money but it doesnt matter is the drink is non-alcoholic.. It cost the restaurant about 5 cents for a glass of soda and you're being charge about 2,00 or so in an avarege restaurant, coffee is also a good money maker.

Soda is one of the highest profit items on the Menu. Charge $1.90 for about 6c worth of syrup and carbon water, a few pennies worth of ice, and around 6-7c of the dishwasher's time, if that.

I know at wendy's it was an obscene markup on soda...that biggie soda? There is a reason why combos are priced so the drink is 80% off, because they are still making a good profit on it.

All menus I have seen have NA beverages on them, they are sometimes well hidden though. The places I usually don't see them are "upscale" style restaurants, where they assume people will be drinking wine or something of the sort. I personally dislike places that think like this...I would be just as likely to drink mountain dew with my Filet Mignon as I would a nice red wine.

They are on the menu, MERTON, look harder.

I dont believe that restaurants dont list their non acoholic beverage in an attempt for making money, most places do list them. I think the most common old trick to make good sales on beverages ( since that's where the profit is) is to serve you "free" or low priced high sodium food items, the free popcorn at the bar or free preztles or the 25 cent hot wings night are very good efforts to make you thirsty and but more high profitable drinks!

The money explanation makes sense.
I am not talking about chain restauraunts not listing their non-alcoholic beverages, all those places do. I am talking about individual places, where only one or maybe two exist. Some places which are based on a certain ethnicity are exempt from my complaint. FOr example there is a Thai restauraunt a few miles from my house, they have actual Thai beverages listed.

They are on the menu, MERTON, look harder.

The thread title does have a certain MERTON ring to it.

For some places, the cost of putting the drinks on the menu isn't worth it. And who doesn't carry cokes, water, milk, etc.?

I used to eat at a restaurant where there were no prices on the menu, only on the wine list. And you didn't pay at the restaurant, they mailed you the bill.


Mountain Dew with a Filet Mignon? Ewww.

If you are talking hard spirit drinks, shots, gin & tonic, liquor + mixer, kind of drinks, it's because they are too many of them to list, and half the time the bartender is just making them up anyhow, and the bar register has to be separate from the kitchen register.
Oh or you can look at that paper triangle folded around the candle at your local RedLobsterGardenBennigins.

{edit: I should actually read the entire title**

Are you talking about not listing non-alcoholic versions of their alcoholic drinks?
They're called virgins, you know, like you.