Menu engineering.
A 120-item menu is hard to cook well and hard to sell from. We build menus that sell more of the dishes that earn you more.
What is on the plate
- 01
Sales and margin analysis
Which dishes sell, which earn, and which do neither.
- 02
A tighter menu
Fewer dishes, done better, with less waste in the kitchen.
- 03
Repricing
Prices that guests accept and that protect your margin.
- 04
Recipe costing
The real cost of every plate, written into standard recipes.
- 05
New dishes
Replacements developed through recipe R&D and food trials.
- 06
Menu order
Where each dish sits on the menu, so guests find your best ones first.
Who it is for
- Busy but not profitableRestaurants with full tables and thin margins.
- New openingsA menu engineered before the first order, not after.
- Growing brandsOne standard menu that every outlet can cook.
Menu engineering, explained
Menu engineering looks at two things for every dish: how much it sells and how much it earns. Then it changes the menu so guests order more of the dishes that do both. It is one of the fastest ways to raise restaurant profit without raising footfall.
The four types of dishes
| Dish type | Sells | Earns | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | Well | Well | Keep, protect and feature |
| Plough horses | Well | Poorly | Re-cost, adjust portion or price |
| Puzzles | Poorly | Well | Rename, reposition, suggest more |
| Dogs | Poorly | Poorly | Rework or remove |
How we engineer your menu
- Collect 2–3 months of sales by dish from your billing system
- Cost every dish with standard recipes
- Sort dishes into the four types
- Fix prices, portions and recipes where needed
- Redesign the menu layout so high-margin dishes stand out
- Train the team to suggest the right dishes
- Review again after 60–90 days
What changes for you
A shorter menu, faster kitchen, less waste and a higher average margin per plate. In one project, a 120-dish menu became 32 dishes that actually sell.
Read our menu planning guide and 20 ways to increase restaurant revenue.
How we work
- 01Brief
We listen, visit the site or kitchen and check the numbers.
- 02Plan
Concept, menu, layout and costs, agreed on paper first.
- 03Cook
Recipes developed, trialled, tasted and costed.
- 04Service!
Team trained on SOPs. We stay until it runs on its own.
Questions, answered
What is menu engineering?
Studying how much each dish sells and how much it earns, then changing the menu, prices and recipes so you sell more of the dishes that make money.
How often should a menu be reviewed?
Check sales and food costs every few months, and rework the menu when costs rise, sales drop or the season changes.
Will you change our recipes?
Only where it helps cost, speed or consistency, and every change is trialled and tasted with your team first.
