What you offer and how.
WHAT A MENU MUST BALANCE
What customers want What the kitchen can produce consistently What is profitable What ingredients are shared
WHY SHARED INGREDIENTS MATTER
They reduce waste and simplify ordering.
WHAT A SHORTER MENU PROVIDES
Better consistency Less waste Faster service Simpler ordering Easier training
WHAT A LONGER ONE COSTS
All of those.
WHY BUSINESSES RESIST SHORTENING
Fear of losing customers who want a specific item.
WHAT THE DATA USUALLY SHOWS
A small number of dishes producing most sales.
WHAT TO ANALYSE
Each item by sales volume and by margin.
WHAT THE CATEGORIES SUGGEST
High volume and high margin: feature them
High volume, low margin: reprice or reformulate Low volume, high margin: promote or reposition Low volume, low margin: remove
WHAT TO DO ABOUT PRICING PRESENTATION
Make it clear and readable.
WHAT TO AVOID
Prices hidden or hard to find Items frequently unavailable
WHY UNAVAILABILITY MATTERS
It is a common and serious source of customer frustration.
WHAT TO DO
Remove items you cannot supply reliably.
WHAT TO STATE
Anything customers must know: significant allergens, preparation time, portion size.
WHAT TO REVIEW
The menu, periodically, against sales data.
WHAT TO CHANGE CAUTIOUSLY
Items customers return for.
