The secret to tasty escargot is the sauce. You can make your own with any cheaper, more readily available type of shellfish (such as scallop, conch or even octopus/squid with the right marinade. Use lots of garlic and olive oil. It will taste just as good, and your squeamish guests won't have to cringe over eating snail.

This is why in the fancy restaurants, the empty shells are always presented as a garnish to the dish, to reassure gourmets there has been no substitution.

BTW, when in Florida, be careful when ordering scallop. Very often, what you're getting is sting ray, the medallions of flesh are just punched out of the ray's wings with a pipe. Properly prepared, they're just as tasty, but the price differential is outrageous--they just look like shelled scallops.