Why do I need Menu Engineering?

There are many reasons for using menu engineering for your restaurant. Not the least of which is for the extra money.

People starting a restaurant have many reasons for doing so. Not all restaurants are started for the money. But once they are opened, they may as well be profitable, right?

Here are some of the hot points to consider and how menu engineering may enhance your business.

Financial Gain: For the most part, a well-engineered menu will bring in between 2 – 10% in added restaurant profit. This is money that is yours already, you're just not asking for it. This is money your guests would gladly give you without a second thought, but instead you're leaving it with them.

HotOperator can help you find all the potential profitability in your restaurant and help you grow your business through menu engineering.

Fewer Complaints: It's a fact, when people are happy they complain less. In your case, your menu has the power to help your guests make better choices, make choices that make more money for you and make choices that can impact the speed at which they are delivered.

Menu engineering allows you to better understand using proper product positioning, product highlighting, strategic pricing and mental anchoring, HotOperator has the power to help your guests navigate your menu in a way that will have them happier, more satisfied and less likely to complain.

If not for you, then do it for your customers.

I recently went into a restaurant and was handed what was passing off as a menu, and I've gotta' tell you, it was nothing less than a mess. Items were all listed in a row; prices all had dollar signs with dots running across the page to help line up the prices. The descriptions were just one-line headings without anything to explain the cooking method or the ingredients. There was nothing on the menu to help me make a better choice. So I did what everyone else did. I looked at the prices until I found something that looked cheap enough and settled. Menu engineering fail.

And that's the problem with a homespun menu. You're selling, but you're not selling to a higher standard or a higher plate contribution, or for a smoother operation. You're just letting your guests figure out what's cheap and letting it go at that.

A well engineered menu can be designed to help you sell to smooth out your operation during busy times, sell a higher plate contribution when you've got time to promote harder-to-execute items and even set for a specified food cost percentage.

Restaurant menu engineering, when coupled with great restaurant menu design is a great way to help grow your restaurant into a foodservice powerhouse.