What is Menu Engineering?
Menu engineering is the study of the profitability and popularity of menu items and how these two factors influence the placement of these items on a menu. The goal is simple: to increase profitability per guest.
The Psychology of Menu Design
Customers spend an average of 109 seconds looking at a menu. You have limited time to influence their decision. By using visual cues, strategic pricing, and item placement, you can guide them to high-margin dishes.
Categorize Your Menu Items
- Stars: High profit, high popularity. Keep them visible!
- Plowhorses: Low profit, high popularity. Try to increase their margin.
- Puzzles: High profit, low popularity. Make them more visible or rename them.
- Dogs: Low profit, low popularity. Consider removing them.
Use the Right Tools
Analyzing your menu manually can be tedious. We recommend using specialized tools to visualize your menu matrix.
Check out our dedicated Free Menu Engineer Tool to automatically categorize your dishes and get actionable insights.