Menu Planning and Engineering Flashcards

In menu engineering analysis, an item with high popularity but low contribution margin is classified as a:

Answer: Plowhorse

Plowhorses sell well but contribute little profit per portion, so they typically need repricing or cost reduction.

A chef wants to improve the profitability of a Puzzle item without removing it. Which action is most appropriate?

Answer: Reposition it to a high-visibility spot on the menu and have servers suggest it

Puzzles are high-margin but low-popularity, so increasing visibility and suggestive selling boosts sales of an already profitable item.

Which formula correctly calculates an item's contribution margin?

Answer: Selling price minus food cost

Contribution margin is the gross profit per item: menu price minus the plate (food) cost.

A restaurant's dinner menu has an average check target of $45. Which planning error would most directly threaten that target?

Answer: Clustering most entrée prices far below the target range

If most entrées are priced well below the target, the achievable average check will fall short regardless of other factors.

When planning a menu for a banquet operation, the most critical constraint to evaluate first is:

Answer: Kitchen equipment capacity and production capability

Menu items must be executable at volume with the available equipment, staff, and space before any other consideration.

Cross-utilization in menu planning refers to:

Answer: Using the same ingredient across multiple menu items to reduce waste and inventory

Cross-utilization spreads one ingredient over several dishes, lowering waste, simplifying purchasing, and reducing inventory.

Which pricing method sets the menu price by dividing the item's food cost by a target food cost percentage?

Answer: Factor (cost percentage) pricing

Factor pricing divides plate cost by the desired food cost percentage (or multiplies by its reciprocal factor) to set the price.