Question 1

What is a menu engineering matrix?

Accepted Answer

A menu engineering matrix is a tool used to analyze and categorize your entire menu at once. It plots every item on a four-quadrant grid based on their individual popularity (sales volume) and profitability (contribution margin). This gives you a powerful visual overview of your menu's performance, helping you make data-driven decisions.

Question 2

How are "Popularity" and "Profitability" determined in the matrix?

Accepted Answer

Popularity: An item is considered "Popular" if it sells more than the average number of units sold across all items in the matrix. The benchmark is (Total Items Sold / Number of Items).Profitability: An item is considered "Profitable" if its contribution margin (Revenue - Cost) is higher than the average contribution margin of all items in the matrix.

Question 3

What is the strategic recommendation for each category?

Accepted Answer

Stars (High Profit, High Popularity): Protect these items. Maintain their quality, give them prime menu placement, and never take them for granted.Puzzles (High Profit, Low Popularity): Your biggest opportunity. These items are profitable but need a sales boost. Try promoting them with better menu placement, photos, or server training.Plowhorses (Low Profit, High Popularity): These items are popular but don't make much money. Your goal is to increase their profitability by testing small price increases or re-engineering the recipe to reduce costs.Dogs (Low Profit, Low Popularity): These items are candidates for removal. They take up valuable menu space and add complexity to your kitchen operations for very little return.

Question 4

How many items should I include in my analysis?

Accepted Answer

For the most accurate analysis, you should include all items within a specific menu category (e.g., all appetizers, all entrees). Analyzing your entire menu at once can be useful, but comparing an appetizer to an entree isn't always a fair comparison. This calculator allows up to 5 items for a focused analysis, but you can run it multiple times for different menu sections.

Question 5

How often should I perform a menu engineering analysis?

Accepted Answer

A full menu engineering analysis should be performed at least once or twice a year, or whenever you are planning a menu redesign. You should also consider running an analysis if you notice significant changes in your food costs or if certain items experience a sudden drop in sales.

Menu Engineering Matrix

Menu Item 1

Menu Item 2

Menu Item 3

Menu Item 4

Menu Item 5

Results

Understanding the Menu Engineering Matrix

Stars (High Profit, High Popularity)

Puzzles (High Profit, Low Popularity)

Plowhorses (Low Profit, High Popularity)

Dogs (Low Profit, Low Popularity)

Frequently Asked Questions

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