How to Increase Your Restaurant's Profitability with Menu Engineering

Menu engineering is a strategic approach that involves analyzing and optimizing your menu to maximize profitability. Follow these 7 steps to implement menu engineering and boost your restaurant's profitability:

1. Analyze Menu Performance
Start by analyzing your menu's performance to identify top-selling items, low-margin dishes, and underperforming items. This can be done by reviewing sales data, profitability reports, and customer feedback.
2. Categorize Menu Items
Categorize your menu items into different categories such as stars (high-profit, popular items), puzzles (high-profit, low popularity), plowhorses (high popularity, low profit), and dogs (low popularity, low profit). This categorization helps you understand the performance of each item.
3. Determine Contribution Margin
Calculate the contribution margin for each menu item by subtracting the cost of ingredients and preparation from the selling price. This allows you to identify high-profit items and low-margin items that may need adjustment.
4. Optimize Pricing
Adjust menu prices strategically based on the contribution margin and popularity of each item. Consider increasing prices for high-profit items or adjusting prices for low-margin items to improve profitability without compromising customer value.
5. Highlight Profitable Items
Strategically position and highlight high-profit items on your menu using visual cues such as boxes, borders, or icons. This draws attention to these items and encourages customers to choose them.
6. Streamline Menu Presentation
Simplify your menu presentation by removing clutter, reducing the number of items, and organizing items in a logical and intuitive manner. This helps customers navigate the menu more easily and makes it easier for them to make decisions.
7. Regularly Review and Update
Continuously monitor and review your menu's performance and make adjustments as needed. Regularly introduce new items, test seasonal specials, and retire underperforming dishes to keep your menu fresh and appealing.

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