I can't help but comment on p. p1 article in today's Wall Street Journal, "The Prix Fixe Is In".

In the restaurant industry, charging per entree is the appropriate pricing model for food service; alternatively, a fixed price is the pricing model for a dining experience. It's a subtle but meaningful distinction that Joe Pine and I addressed some time ago in "Differentiating Hospitality Operations via Experiences" in the June 2002 issue (Volume 43, Number 3; pp. 87-96) of Cornell Hotel and Restarant Administration Quarterly.

http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/publications/hraq/