Menu Engineering

Find the hidden profit in your menu. Contribution margin analysis, strategic redesign, and server training that lift check average 12-18% without raising prices.

The Problem You're Facing

You're busy but not profitable. Tables are turning, but ticket averages are flat. You don't know which menu items actually make money after labor and food costs. Your menu highlights the wrong items, servers don't know what to upsell, and you're leaving thousands on the table every month because guests order the cheapest entrée and nothing else.

The cost? Low profit margins despite high volume, wasted menu real estate on low-margin items, and servers who can't confidently guide guests toward better choices.


What Strategic Menu Engineering Delivers

Know Your Winners

Full contribution margin analysis reveals which items actually drive profit vs which just drive volume. Make decisions based on dollars, not percentages.

12-18% Higher Check Average

Strategic menu redesign guides guests to high-margin items. Optimized placement, descriptions, and pricing psychology lift spend per visit.

Server Confidence

Train your team on what to recommend and why. They become consultants, not order-takers, driving both guest satisfaction and ticket size.

Simplified Operations

Trim low-performers that complicate execution. Streamline to your most profitable, operationally-efficient items.

Strategic Pricing

Price architecture that uses anchoring, decoys, and good-better-best frameworks. Maximize willingness to pay without sticker shock.

Continuous Optimization

Quarterly reviews to test new items, adjust pricing, and adapt to changing costs. Your menu evolves with your business.


How We Engineer Your Menu

Contribution Margin Analysis

We analyze your POS data and recipe costs to calculate true contribution margin for every item— not just food cost %, but actual dollars after COGS and direct labor. Identify your stars, puzzles, plowhorses, and dogs.

Menu Mix Optimization

We map current sales mix against profitability. Identify which high-margin items need more visibility and which low-margin items are taking up valuable menu real estate.

Strategic Redesign

We redesign your menu using proven psychology—strategic placement, descriptive language, pricing architecture, visual hierarchy. Guide guests toward your most profitable items naturally.

Pricing Strategy

We build a pricing architecture using anchors, decoys, and good-better-best frameworks. Strategic price increases where guests have willingness to pay, value positioning where needed.

Server Training & Enablement

We train your team on what to recommend, how to upsell naturally, and why certain items are better for guests. Turn order-takers into consultants who drive ticket size and tips.

Testing & Iteration

We run A/B tests on new items, monitor mix shift, and refine based on results. Quarterly reviews keep your menu optimized as costs and preferences change.


Real Outcomes You Can Expect

After professional menu engineering, clients typically see:

  • 12-18% increase in average check size within 90 days
  • 3-5 percentage point improvement in overall profit margin
  • 20-30% shift in mix toward high-margin items
  • Clear visibility into which items actually make money vs which just drive volume
  • Simplified menu—cut 15-25% of SKUs without hurting sales
  • Confident servers who upsell naturally and earn higher tips
  • Strategic pricing that captures more willingness to pay

Typical ROI: 8-12x return within the first quarter through increased check average and mix shift to high-margin items—not counting operational simplification and reduced waste from streamlined menus.


What's Included in Menu Engineering


Who This Is For

This service is perfect for:

Not a fit if: You're a counter-service concept with no servers, or you've already done comprehensive margin analysis and your menu is fully optimized.

Ready to Find Hidden Profit in Your Menu?

Book a 30-minute Menu Engineering Assessment. We'll review your current menu, analyze one section's profitability, and show you exactly where you're leaving money on the table.

Schedule Your Menu Assessment →

Or email hello@trecoleman.com to request a sample contribution margin analysis.