Nothing in life is free, so the saying goes. But at some restaurants, guests leave with more than a full stomach. Postcards, matchbooks, Polaroids, and other small keepsakes have become part of the hospitality experience, extending the meal beyond the table while quietly building brand loyalty in the process.
When the check arrives at Fish Shop in Austin, Texas, it comes with a Fortune Teller Miracle Fish, a bright red, fish-shaped piece of cellophane that acts like a mood ring for your love life. Place it in the palm of your hand and watch its reaction. If the head moves, you’re jealous; if the head and tail move, you’re in love; if it completely curls up, you’re passionate.
“It’s a little bit of cheekiness and a sense of whimsy,” says co-owner Nicole Rossi. “It brings back engagement. It’s one last moment for everybody to join in on before they head off to their next adventure.”
Rossi was inspired by a tradition at her family’s restaurant, Fat Lady in Oakland, California, where checks came with Andes Mints wrapped in gleaming green foil. Nearly 60 years later, the restaurant still carries on the practice. “That tradition always stuck with me,” says Rossi, “but I didn’t want to do candy, because the staff usually eats it.”
The tiny prognosticator isn’t the only giveaway that arrives with the check at Fish Shop. Guests also receive a postcard, which some fill out on the spot for the restaurant to mail. Rossi glances at them before they go out. “You get to see people’s penmanship, their doodles, and all of those very uniquely human and personal things,” she says. “And these days, human-to-human moments are feeling so much more precious and important.”
