Menu Design Menu Engineering

Question 1

Menu engineering as a profitability analysis tool was developed by which pair of researchers?

Accepted Answer

Donald Smith and Michael Kasavana

Answer

Donald Smith and Michael Kasavana developed menu engineering at Michigan State University in 1982 as a framework for analyzing menu item profitability and popularity.

Question 2

In menu engineering, items classified as 'Stars' are characterized by:

Accepted Answer

High popularity and high profit margin

Answer

Stars are the ideal menu items — they sell frequently and generate strong contribution margin, making them the cornerstone of a profitable menu.

Question 3

What term in menu engineering describes items with low popularity but high profitability?

Accepted Answer

Puzzles

Answer

Puzzles are high-margin items that don't sell well; the challenge is figuring out how to boost their popularity through repositioning or promotion.

Question 4

'Plow Horses' in menu engineering are menu items that have:

Accepted Answer

High popularity but low profit contribution

Answer

Plow Horses are popular favorites that customers love, but they don't generate strong contribution margins, so operators often try to raise prices or trim portions.

Question 5

In menu engineering, 'contribution margin' is calculated as:

Accepted Answer

Selling price minus the food cost of the item

Answer

Contribution margin equals the selling price minus food cost, representing the actual dollar amount each item contributes toward covering overhead and profit.

Menu Design Practice Test

Menu Design Practice Test

Menu Design Menu Engineering