[TrudyM]

When I was growing up my family had a ski lodge. We tried two different systems. Family style with large platters of food with a per platter cost (one platter would feed three or so) and a per person plate charge of 50 cents (It was the 60's) for big groups, this helped cover all the kids and no food was wasted.

The second was for weekdays when we had fewer guests. We had a salad and split option. You bought a side salad and split the entree it worked out very well. People liked it better than a plate charge for spliting the entree. The note on the menu said save room for pie try our salad and split option. As my mom was known for her pies it was very popular.

Small portions of some items are impossible for the kitchen. Also people tend to gauge the value by the size of the portions. We found you could charge more for larger portions but charging less for smaller ones hurt business.

Just my expierience from the other side of the kitchen door.