Menu Engineering Calculator
Menu engineering calculator. Enter cost, price and sales volume for each dish to see contribution, popularity and Boston-matrix quadrant classification.
| Dish | Price | Cost | Sold | GP% | Class | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70.0% | Ploughhorse | |||||
| 65.4% | Puzzle | |||||
| 77.3% | Dog | |||||
| 65.6% | Ploughhorse | |||||
| 78.7% | Puzzle |
Protect quality and visibility - these carry the menu.
Popular but low margin. Trim portion or nudge price.
Good margin, poor sales. Reposition or push with staff recs.
Low popularity and low margin. Rework, replace or remove.
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What to work out next
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Menu engineering classifies every dish by two axes: popularity (how many you sell) and contribution (£ profit per dish). Stars are high on both. Dogs are low on both.
Use the results to redesign the menu - promote stars, engineer ploughhorses, reposition puzzles and remove dogs.
What this calculator does
Plots every dish by cash contribution and popularity and sorts them into the four classic menu engineering quadrants - Stars, Ploughhorses, Puzzles and Dogs - so you can see what to promote, reprice, rework or remove.
Who it is for
- Operators and chefs running a menu review.
- Managers deciding which dishes deserve a spot on the specials board.
- Anyone with a menu that has grown too long.
How to use it
- List each dish with its net selling price, its plate cost and the number sold in the period.
- Use a full trading period - at least four weeks - so the volumes are meaningful.
- Read the quadrant assigned to each dish and the total contribution column.
The formula
- Contribution per dish = Net selling price - Plate cost
- Total contribution = Contribution per dish x Units sold
- Average contribution = Total contribution across all dishes / Total units sold
- Average popularity = Total units sold / Number of dishes
- Star = above average on both; Ploughhorse = popular, low contribution; Puzzle = high contribution, unpopular; Dog = below average on both
Worked example
A menu where the average dish contributes £8.00 and the average dish sells 90 units a month. One main sells 140 units at £13.00 net with a £3.90 plate cost.
- Contribution = £13.00 - £3.90 = £9.10, which is above the £8.00 average
- Volume = 140, which is above the 90 average
- Total contribution = £9.10 x 140 = £1,274 a month
Above average on both axes, so this dish is a Star - protect the specification, keep it visible and do not discount it.
How to read your result
- Stars: keep the recipe and quality absolutely consistent, and give them the best position on the menu.
- Ploughhorses: popular but thin. Small price rises or a cost reduction work here because volume multiplies the gain.
- Puzzles: profitable but nobody orders them. Rename, redescribe, reposition or train the team to recommend them before you cut them.
- Dogs: low profit and low volume. Remove them unless they serve a purpose such as a dietary requirement.
What to do next
- Move Stars into the top-right of each menu section, where eyes land first.
- Take a 3-5% price test on Ploughhorses and watch volume for four weeks.
- Give one Puzzle a full rework each cycle rather than deleting several at once.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using percentage GP instead of cash contribution, which biases the analysis towards cheap items.
- Analysing too short a period, so a one-off week distorts popularity.
- Mixing sections - compare starters with starters, not with steaks.
Assumptions and limitations
- Quadrants are relative to your own menu averages, not to any industry benchmark.
- Does not account for prep labour, allergen role or the dish that keeps a regular group coming back.
Dumb Bambi provides general business information, not accounting, tax or legal advice. Read our calculation methodology or tell us about a mistake.
Last reviewed:
Keep going with these tools
- GP Calculator - Gross profit, GP % and markup % in one place.
- Food Cost Calculator - Food cost %, GP % and profit per dish.
- Profit Margin Calculator - Work out gross profit and margin %.
Frequently asked questions
Why use contribution instead of GP %?+
A dish with 80% GP that sells 5 times a week is worse than a 60% GP dish that sells 100 times. Contribution captures both.
What popularity threshold defines 'high'?+
Common practice is 70% of the average share. This calculator uses that rule automatically.
How often should I run this?+
Every menu change, and at least once a quarter to catch drifting favourites.