CCC Menu Planning and Engineering 3

Question 1

An item classified as a Dog in menu engineering is best handled by:

Accepted Answer

Removing or completely reworking it

Answer

Dogs are both unpopular and unprofitable, so they should be dropped or fundamentally redesigned.

Question 2

A menu item costs $6.50 to plate and sells for $26.00. What is its food cost percentage?

Accepted Answer

25%

Answer

Food cost percentage equals cost divided by price: 6.50 ÷ 26.00 = 0.25, or 25%.

Question 3

The 'sweet spot' or prime real estate on a single-panel menu, where guests' eyes tend to land first, is generally the:

Accepted Answer

Upper portion, just above the center

Answer

On a single panel, eyes typically go first to the area at or just above center-top, making it prime placement for high-margin items.

Question 4

When calculating menu-mix (popularity) benchmarks in menu engineering, an item is considered popular if its sales share exceeds:

Accepted Answer

70% of the expected equal share of category sales

Answer

The standard menu engineering benchmark flags an item as popular when it achieves at least 70% of its expected equal share (1/n × 70%).

Question 5

A chef planning a new spring menu should base item selection primarily on:

Accepted Answer

Guest preferences, seasonal availability, and operational capability

Answer

Sound menu planning balances what guests want, what is seasonally available and cost-effective, and what the operation can execute.

CCC Practice Test