With value-for-money becoming the new buzzword among diners across the country, restaurateurs are rolling out offers. International casual dining chain TGI Friday's, which has nine outlets in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, certainly wants to keep those watching their wallets happy. Three months ago, they introduced a `Recession Bonus' -- customers buying two Bacardi cocktails would get three free. Rohan Jetly, GM, development of Bistro Hospitality, which has the TGIF franchise, says business is already showing signs of recovery. ``We lost out to fast food outlets, but we also benefited from people switching over from five-stars,'' he says.

Varun Tuli of Delhi's The Yum Yum Tree (TYYT) says affordable pricing has helped him attract customers even in these hard times. To suit the post-crunch palate, TYYT offers four-course dinners, including unlimited beer on Tuesdays for Rs 500 and dimsum lunches for Rs 499, taxes not included.

The upside for customers is that even luxurious establishments suddenly seem affordable. Ramola Bachchan's fine-dining restaurant Manre, which opened in the Capital in July, no longer seems so expensive. It recently introduced two lunch deals at Rs 650 and Rs 1,000. The first offers soup, salad, pizza/pasta, dessert, coffee and a soft drink and the other a cocktail, soup, unlimited salad, choice of main course and dessert. Bachchan believes the slowdown has forced restaurants to become more conscious of pricing. ``The consumer can shop around for deals, so value becomes very important,'' she says.

 With diners replacing the Moet with the Absolut and skipping dessert, restaurateurs are doing a rethink on pricing. Nikhil Chib, who owns the Asian eatery Busaba in Colaba, introduced the crunch lunch after he read about the one-dollar lunches available in the US.

It's called the Corporate Crunch Lunch but it doesn't skimp on anything -- Rs 349 (plus taxes) buys a starter, a buffet spread of six main course dishes, two salads, a pint of beer and dessert. One a la carte dish would cost more than the whole crunch meal. The deals are win-win for both diners and restaurant owners. The hip and the hungry get to eat and restaurants make smaller profits but don't go empty. And with more urban Indians eating out -- six times a month in 2008 compared to 2.7 times a month five years ago -- the deals may get crunchier still.