Think about it: the first time a customer walks into your restaurant, it’s like a blind date. And how many blind dates go well when the guy shows up with his pants on backwards?
Okay, that’s a dramatic analogy, but menu typos are so pervasive — and so avoidable — that they’ve earned our “Peeve du jour.” Here are two commonly seen mistakes:
1. Desert. Mmm, this cheesecake sure does taste sandy! A desert is a dry geographical region, like the Sahara. A dessert is a yummy thing that customers like to order after their main meal. Forget that second “s” and your bills for camel food are going to go through the roof. Or at least they should.
2. Capuccino. (also: cappucino, cappuchino, cappaccino, etc.) Many menu typos occur, understandably, because the word is borrowed from another language (in this case, Italian). But we stand by our “if you can make it, you can spell it” rule — this is especially true if you’re a café and espresso-based beverages are a big part of your business. In the case of the delicious steamed milk beverage, the spelling you’re looking for is cappuccino (double “p,” “double c,” single “n”). And yes, it’s espresso, not expresso. We checked.
While you’re not likely to see this on a menu, it’s worth pointing out — if you own a restaurant, that makes you a restaurateur (no “n”).
Seen any good menu typos lately? Got some menu errors of your own and feel like ‘fessing up? Have a question about how to spell a certain word? Let us know!
