Menu Engineering – Selling More High-Margin Items
Introduction
A menu isn’t just a collection of dishes. It’s a sales tool. It’s your silent waiter, your profit strategy, and your brand identity all in one.
Too often, menus are designed as afterthoughts: a PDF dropped on the table or a quick list typed up for printing. But done right, menu engineering can transform how guests order — and how much profit your restaurant makes on every plate.
What Is Menu Engineering?
Menu engineering is the art and science of designing menus to influence guest choices. It combines:
Data analysis – knowing your food cost % and contribution margin per item.
Psychology – understanding how guests read menus and make decisions.
Design principles – using layout, visuals, and descriptions to guide attention.
It’s about more than highlighting a “Chef’s Special.” It’s about making sure your most profitable items also become your most popular ones.
The Psychology of Ordering
Example: Designing for Profitability
In one luxury hotel I worked with, the most profitable starter wasn't selling well. It was hidden in the middle of a crowded list, described simply as "Prawns with garlic butter."
After reworking the menu:
Result? Sales of that one item increased by 27% in the first month, lifting appetizer margins across the board.
Four Practical Tips for Menu Engineering
The classic menu engineering matrix helps operators decide what stays, changes, or goes.
Identify Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles, and Dogs
Stars = High profit, high popularity → Showcase them.
Plowhorses = Low profit, high popularity → Rework recipes/portion sizes.
Puzzles = High profit, low popularity → Rename, reposition, or redesign.
Dogs = Low profit, low popularity → Consider removing.
Design With Eye Flow in Mind
Place your "stars" where eyes land first.
Use spacing and typography to make them stand out.
Use Descriptive Language That Adds Value
Instead of "chicken curry" → "Slow-braised Tandoori Chicken Curry, with roasted kasoori methi."
Limit Choices to Increase Sales
More options = decision fatigue.
Curating your menu helps focus guest attention on what you want them to order.
Small Changes, Big Profit Impact
Menu engineering doesn’t require a full redesign every time. Sometimes small tweaks deliver results:
Adding icons or subtle highlights for profitable items.
Reordering sections so high-margin dishes aren’t buried.
Trimming excess menu “noise.”
One casual dining group I consulted with saw a 12% uplift in average check value simply by redesigning layout and copy — without changing a single recipe.
Why It Matters
For many operators, rising food and labour costs feel uncontrollable. Menu engineering is one of the fastest, most cost-effective levers of profitability.
Done right, it:
And it works across all concepts — from fine dining to QSRs.
Final Word
Your menu is your most powerful marketing tool inside the restaurant. Don’t treat it as a static document. Treat it as a living, breathing profit strategy.
Every description, placement, and design choice should push your business toward better margins — without compromising guest experience.
Your menu is your silent waiter — make sure it’s working for you.
Call to Action
At Dadlani F+B Consultants, we help restaurants and hotels reimagine their menus with profitability in mind. From menu design workshops to full concept rollouts, we deliver strategies that make menus work harder.
👉 Enquire with us today to see how menu engineering can lift your restaurant’s margins.