GLOSSARY

Menu Engineering

Menu engineering is the strategic process of designing and analyzing a restaurant’s menu to maximize profitability by categorizing items based on popularity and profitability, optimizing pricing, and enhancing menu layout to influence customer choices.

What is Menu Engineering?

 

Menu engineering is the practice of strategically designing a restaurant’s menu to improve profitability. It involves analyzing the performance of menu items, categorizing them based on their popularity and profit margins, and making data-driven decisions about pricing, placement, and promotions. By understanding which items are most and least profitable, restaurants can optimize their offerings to encourage higher sales of more profitable dishes.

 

Key Aspects of Menu Engineering:

 

  1. Item Analysis: Assessing each menu item’s sales and profit margins.
  2. Categorization: Classifying items into categories such as stars, plow horses, puzzles, and dogs based on their profitability and popularity.
  3. Pricing Strategy: Setting prices to balance cost, value, and competition.
  4. Menu Layout: Designing the menu to highlight high-profit items and make it visually appealing.
  5. Promotion: Developing strategies to promote high-margin items through specials and recommendations.
  6. Customer Psychology: Understanding how menu design influences customer choices.

 

Menu Item Categories:

 

  1. Stars: High-profit, high-popularity items. These should be prominently featured and highlighted.
  2. Plow Horses: Low-profit, high-popularity items. Consider slight price adjustments or cost reduction strategies.
  3. Puzzles: High-profit, low-popularity items. Find ways to make these items more attractive or prominent.
  4. Dogs: Low-profit, low-popularity items. Consider removing these from the menu or reworking them.

 

Steps in Menu Engineering:

 

  1. Data Collection:

   – Gather sales data for each menu item.

   – Calculate the cost of ingredients and determine profit margins.

 

  1. Menu Analysis:

   – Analyze the performance of each item based on sales volume and profit margin.

   – Categorize items into stars, plow horses, puzzles, and dogs.

 

  1. Pricing Strategy:

   – Evaluate current pricing and make adjustments to optimize profitability.

   – Consider psychological pricing tactics, such as ending prices in .99 or using price anchoring.

 

  1. Menu Layout and Design:

   – Design the menu to draw attention to high-profit items.

   – Use visual cues, such as boxes, borders, and color, to highlight featured items.

   – Place high-margin items in prime locations, such as the top right corner or the center of the menu.

 

  1. Promotion and Marketing:

   – Develop promotions and specials for high-profit items.

   – Train staff to upsell and recommend profitable dishes.

   – Use descriptive language and appealing photos to enhance the perceived value of menu items.

 

  1. Review and Adjust:

   – Regularly review sales data and adjust the menu based on performance.

   – Continuously test new items and remove underperforming ones.

 

Example of Menu Engineering in Action:

 

A mid-sized bistro wants to increase its overall profitability by optimizing its menu.

 

Scenario:

 

The restaurant’s management notices that while some dishes are very popular, they don’t necessarily contribute significantly to profits.

 

Solution:

 

  1. Data Collection: Gather detailed sales data and cost information for all menu items.
  2. Menu Analysis: Identify which items fall into the categories of stars, plow horses, puzzles, and dogs.
  3. Pricing Strategy: Adjust prices of popular but low-profit items (plow horses) slightly to improve margins.
  4. Menu Layout: Redesign the menu to highlight high-profit items (stars) with eye-catching visuals and prime placement.
  5. Promotion: Introduce specials and staff incentives to promote high-margin items (puzzles).
  6. Review and Adjust: Monitor sales data post-implementation and make necessary adjustments based on performance.

 

Outcome:

 

The bistro experiences an increase in overall profitability, with high-margin items gaining more popularity due to strategic menu placement and promotions. Customers are drawn to the visually appealing menu, and staff effectively upsell featured items, contributing to improved financial performance.

 

Conclusion:

 

Menu engineering is a vital tool for restaurants aiming to enhance profitability through strategic menu design and analysis. By categorizing items based on their popularity and profit margins, setting optimal prices, and designing an appealing menu layout, restaurants can influence customer choices and boost sales of high-margin items. Continuous review and adjustment ensure that the menu remains dynamic and responsive to customer preferences and market trends, ultimately leading to sustained profitability and business success.