Menu Engineering Analysis

You analyze a restaurant menu using the Kasavana & Smith menu engineering framework, scoring each item on popularity and contribution margin, then producing concrete recommendations to lift average check size and overall menu profitability.

DISCLAIMER: AI-generated menu analysis based on publicly available menu data and industry benchmarks. The restaurant owner should verify item-level cost and sales data.

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When to use

• /restaurant menu <name-or-url> — full menu engineering audit
• "menu analysis for [name]"
• "what should I change about my menu"

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The Kasavana & Smith Matrix

Every menu item plots on a 2x2 grid:

	High Margin	Low Margin
High Popularity	STARS — protect, feature	PLOWHORSES — re-engineer cost or raise price
Low Popularity	PUZZLES — re-merchandise or relocate on menu	DOGS — remove

Definitions:

• Margin = menu price - food cost
• Popularity = % of category orders > category mean

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Execution Pipeline

Step 1: Acquire Menu

Sources in priority order:

1. Restaurant website (most accurate)
2. Google Business Profile menu
3. Yelp menu
4. Third-party (Uber Eats, DoorDash) — note prices may include markup
5. Photos of physical menu

WebSearch("[name] [city] menu prices")
WebSearch("[name] [city] menu pdf")

Step 2: Catalog Every Item

For each item capture:

• Category (appetizer / entrée / side / dessert / drink)
• Name
• Description (full text)
• Price
• Photo present Y/N
• Position in category (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.)
• Any descriptors (chef's special, popular, gluten-free, signature)
• Estimated food cost % (use industry standards if actual unknown):
  • Pasta dishes: 18-25%
  • Steaks/seafood: 30-40%
  • Burgers/sandwiches: 25-32%
  • Pizza: 20-30%
  • Appetizers: 20-30%
  • Desserts: 15-25%
  • Cocktails: 18-22%
  • Wine: 25-35%

Step 3: Apply Kasavana Matrix

For each item, estimate:

• Contribution margin = price - (price × est. food cost %)
• Popularity = best guess based on menu position, descriptors, photo presence, review mentions

Plot each item as Star / Plowhorse / Puzzle / Dog.

Step 4: Score 5 Sub-Dimensions

Dimension	What to Check	Score (0-20)
Menu Structure & Layout	Categories logical? Length appropriate? Star placement in golden triangle?	...
Description Quality	Sensory language, origin stories, ingredient highlights, length 15-30 words?	...
Pricing Psychology	Charm pricing ($14.95 vs $15)? Decoy items? Anchoring (high-price first)? Currency symbols dropped?	...
Photo Presence	Photos for high-margin items? Quality? Consistency?	...
Upsell / Combo Engineering	Add-ons, combos, dessert nudges, drink pairings, sides upgrades?	...

Step 5: Identify Quick Wins

The 5 highest-leverage menu changes:

1. Reposition Stars to the golden triangle (top-right, top-left, first item in category)
2. Rewrite descriptions for Plowhorses to boost margin perception
3. Re-merchandise Puzzles with photos and "chef's pick" badges
4. Remove or replace Dogs (free up real estate)
5. Add 2-3 strategic combos / add-ons for 8-12% ticket lift

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Pricing Psychology Reference

Tactic	When to use	Example
Charm pricing (.95, .99)	Casual / value-driven concepts	$14.95 vs $15.00
Round pricing (whole dollars)	Premium / fine dining	"32" vs "$32.00"
Drop currency symbols	Removes "spending" psychology	"Burger 16"
Decoy effect	Anchor a premium item to make others look reasonable	$48 ribeye makes $32 strip steak feel cheap
Bracket pricing	3 price tiers per category (low/mid/high) — mid sells most	$12 / $18 / $26
Avoid price columns	Right-aligned price columns invite price comparison	Inline price after description
Avoid dollar signs	Especially in fine dining	$14 → 14

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Description Quality Rubric

A great menu description (15-30 words):

✅ Uses sensory language (crispy, slow-braised, hand-rolled, charred) ✅ Names 2-3 key ingredients ✅ Mentions origin or technique (Sicilian, wood-fired, 36-month aged) ✅ Hints at preparation (chef's signature, family recipe) ✅ Differentiates from competitors

❌ Generic ("delicious chicken with vegetables") ❌ Just a list of components ❌ Over 40 words (decision fatigue) ❌ Under 8 words for items > $20 (feels cheap)

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Golden Triangle / Eye Tracking

Eye-tracking studies show diners read menus in this pattern:

1. Top-right corner  ← place 2 highest-margin items here
2. Top-left corner   ← place signature / story-driven items here
3. Center            ← middle ground
4. Bottom-left
5. Bottom-right      ← place items you want LESS attention on

Within categories: first item gets 20% more attention. Last item gets 15% more attention. Middle items get the least.

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Output Template

Save to RESTAURANT-MENU-[Name].md:

# Menu Engineering Analysis: [NAME]

> **Generated:** [DATE] | **Menu Score:** [X]/100 | **Total Items Analyzed:** [N]

**DISCLAIMER: AI-generated menu analysis. Verify item-level cost data with the owner.**

## Menu Health Snapshot

| Metric | Value | Industry Benchmark |
|--------|-------|---------------------|
| Total items | X | 20-30 (sweet spot) |
| Avg item price | $X.XX | ... |
| Items with photos | X% | 30-50% (digital), 0-20% (print) |
| Avg description length | X words | 15-30 words |
| Estimated avg food cost | X% | 28-32% |
| Pricing strategy | [Charm / Round / Mixed] | ... |

## Kasavana Matrix Distribution

| Quadrant | Item Count | % of Menu |
|----------|------------|-----------|
| Stars (high pop, high margin) | X | X% |
| Plowhorses (high pop, low margin) | X | X% |
| Puzzles (low pop, high margin) | X | X% |
| Dogs (low pop, low margin) | X | X% |

## Item-by-Item Analysis

### Entrées

| Item | Price | Est. Margin | Pop. | Classification | Recommendation |
|------|-------|-------------|------|----------------|----------------|
| Spaghetti Carbonara | $19 | $14.25 | High | Star | Move to top-right of menu; add chef story |
| Lasagna | $17 | $11.50 | High | Plowhorse | Raise to $18.50 (price elasticity weak here) |
| Branzino | $32 | $22.40 | Low | Puzzle | Add photo, badge "Chef's Pick" |
| Caesar Salad Entrée | $14 | $9.80 | Low | Dog | Remove or convert to half-portion side |

### Appetizers, Sides, Desserts
[same table structure]

## 5 Quick-Win Recommendations

### 1. Reposition Stars to the Golden Triangle
- Move Spaghetti Carbonara to top-right position
- Move Margherita Pizza (signature) to top-left
- Expected impact: +5-8% category sales lift

### 2. Rewrite Plowhorse Descriptions
- Current Lasagna description: "Traditional lasagna with meat sauce." (8 words)
- Suggested: "Hand-layered with Bolognese braised 6 hours, fresh ricotta, and Grana Padano — Nonna Maria's recipe since 1962." (20 words)
- Expected impact: support price increase from $17 → $18.50 without complaints

### 3. Re-Merchandise Puzzles
- Branzino — add photo + "Chef's Pick" badge
- Veal Saltimbocca — pair with house Chianti as a "Tuscany Tasting"
- Expected impact: 30-50% lift in low-pop high-margin item sales

### 4. Remove or Convert Dogs
- Caesar Salad Entrée — remove (low margin, cannibalizes appetizer Caesar)
- Three Cheese Ravioli — replace with seasonal special slot
- Expected impact: freed menu real estate + lower waste

### 5. Add 3 Strategic Add-ons
- "Make it a Bolognese" — add ground beef to any pasta for $4 (90%+ margin)
- "Truffle upgrade" — shaved truffle on any pasta for $7
- "Tiramisu duo" — small tasting + espresso for $8
- Expected ticket lift: +$3.50/cover = +$X,XXX/month at current covers

## Pricing Psychology Audit

| Element | Current State | Recommendation |
|---------|---------------|----------------|
| Charm vs round pricing | Mixed | Standardize on round (concept is mid-premium) |
| Currency symbols | Used | Drop "$" — less price-focus |
| Price alignment | Right-aligned column | Move to inline at end of description |
| Decoy item | None | Add $42 Ribeye to anchor entrée prices down |

## Photo Audit

| Item | Has Photo? | Should It? |
|------|------------|------------|
| Carbonara (Star) | Yes | Yes — keep |
| Branzino (Puzzle) | No | YES — add immediately |
| Lasagna (Plowhorse) | Yes | Yes — but quality is poor, reshoot |
| Caesar (Dog) | No | No — being removed |

## Menu Score Breakdown

| Dimension | Score | Notes |
|-----------|-------|-------|
| Structure & Layout | X/20 | ... |
| Description Quality | X/20 | ... |
| Pricing Psychology | X/20 | ... |
| Photo Presence | X/20 | ... |
| Upsell / Combo Engineering | X/20 | ... |
| **Total** | **X/100** | |

## Revenue Impact Projection

If the 5 quick wins are implemented:
- Avg check size lift: +$2.80 (8.5%)
- At [N] daily covers × 30 days: **+$X,XXX/month revenue lift**
- No change in food cost % expected

## What to Implement First

1. **This week:** Move Stars to golden triangle (zero cost, just menu redesign)
2. **This week:** Add 3 strategic add-ons (zero food cost change)
3. **Within 2 weeks:** Rewrite Plowhorse descriptions, raise prices
4. **Within 30 days:** Reshoot photos for Puzzles + signature items
5. **Within 60 days:** Full menu reprint with all changes

**DISCLAIMER: AI-generated analysis. Always verify item-level food cost and sales mix data with the owner before raising prices or removing items.**

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Quality Standards

• Every item gets a classification (no skipping)
• Every recommendation includes a revenue impact estimate
• Pricing recommendations consider local competition and concept tier
• Photo recommendations factor in cost ($500-$2,000 for a 20-item shoot)

DISCLAIMER: For educational/research purposes only. AI-generated.