Master the science of menu engineering with our free matrix calculator. Categorize your menu items into Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles, and Dogs to maximize restaurant profits and optimize your menu strategy.
Average profit increase with menu engineering
Menu categories: Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles, Dogs
Average monthly profit increase with AI agents
Menu engineering is the scientific approach to menu design that maximizes profitability by strategically positioning and pricing menu items. It's not just about what tastes good—it's about what makes money.
The Menu Engineering Matrix categorizes every dish into four quadrants based on two key metrics: popularity (how often it's ordered) and profitability (how much profit it generates). This simple framework reveals which items are driving your business forward and which ones are holding you back.
Every menu item falls into one of four categories. Understanding these categories is the first step to maximizing your restaurant's profitability.
High popularity + High profitability
Your goldmines! Promote these heavily and consider premium pricing.
High popularity + Low profitability
Popular but unprofitable. Optimize costs or increase prices.
Low popularity + High profitability
Hidden gems! Market these better to increase sales.
Low popularity + Low profitability
Remove or completely redesign these items.
Most restaurant owners think their best-selling items are their most profitable. This assumption is costing you thousands of dollars every month.
Consider this real example: A popular burger sells 80 times per day at $18.99, generating $1,519 in daily revenue. But with ingredient costs of $12.50 and labor of $3.20, it only produces $3.29 profit per sale. Meanwhile, a less popular pasta dish sells 25 times at $16.99 but generates $8.75 profit per sale. The burger is a "Plowhorse" - popular but unprofitable.
Our free Menu Engineering Matrix Calculator takes the guesswork out of menu optimization. Simply input your menu items with their sales data and profit margins, and get instant categorization with actionable recommendations.
Instantly categorize every menu item into Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles, or Dogs based on sales volume and profit margins.
Receive specific, actionable advice for each menu category to maximize profitability and optimize your menu strategy.
Identify opportunities to increase prices, reduce costs, or improve marketing for maximum profit potential.
Learn where to place high-profit items on your menu and how to promote them effectively to customers.
Restaurant Industry Insights
"Menu engineering analysis often reveals that popular dishes may have lower profit margins than expected. These 'Plowhorse' items can be optimized through recipe adjustments and strategic pricing to improve profitability while maintaining customer satisfaction."
Restaurant Management Best Practices
"Menu engineering can identify high-profit items with low sales, known as 'Puzzle' items. Strategic menu positioning and staff training to promote these items can significantly increase sales and overall profitability."
Get personalized menu optimization advice from restaurant profit experts
Menu engineering identifies your most profitable items, but AI phone agents ensure customers actually order them. Here's how they work together to maximize your restaurant's profitability:
AI agents promote your 'Stars' and 'Puzzles' identified by menu engineering, increasing sales of high-profit items by 34%.
Never miss profitable orders again. AI answers every call, even when you're busy, ensuring your high-margin items are always available.
Get detailed analytics on which profitable menu items customers are ordering, helping refine your menu engineering strategy.
Implement specific strategies for each category: promote Stars, optimize Plowhorses, market Puzzles better, and remove or redesign Dogs. Adjust pricing and menu positioning based on your analysis.
Deploy AI phone agents to promote your most profitable items, capture every order, and boost revenue by 34% through intelligent upselling of high-margin menu items identified by your analysis.
Calculate exact profit margins for every menu item. Perfect companion to menu engineering analysis.
Calculate how much revenue your restaurant loses from missed calls. See your potential with AI phone agents.