Blame it on the Bach!

Over-Spending at Restaurant: a Classical Problem?
LONDON (Reuters) – If the next time you are in a restaurant you suddenly feel an inexplicable urge to shell out for a beguiling Bordeaux, it may just be the Beethoven talking.
A British scientific study shows that a bit of classical music can persuade diners to buy more fancy coffees, pricey wines and luxurious desserts.
Researchers at Britain’s universities of Leicester and Surrey persuaded a restaurant to alternate silence, pop music and classical on successive nights over 18 days, Sunday’s Observer newspaper reported.
On nights when the classics were playing — a tape of Beethoven, Mahler and Vivaldi — patrons spent more on dinner, especially on “luxuries” such as coffee, dessert, fine wines and starters.
Psychologist Adrian North, who led the research, said classical music makes people feel more cultured and sophisticated, and therefore more likely to shell out for the sort of items they associate with the high life.
In other research, North has shown that playing German or French music can persuade diners to buy wine from those countries, the paper said.