Article

Menu Engineering Basics: How to Make Your Menu Your Top Salesperson

Imagine you're a salesperson who boards an elevator with an important customer. He turns to you and says, "I'm thinking of purchasing products from your entire line, but I want you to sell me before we get off this elevator. Tell me what makes your products special, why your pricing is reasonable, which products are best suited for me, and the quality of your service."

Where do you start? Talk about pressure! That's a lot of information to analyze and present in a few minutes. You're sizing up the customer's needs. You're running numbers in your head to determine the profitability of each product and the optimal pricing. You want to use language that entices a sale. Your restaurant's menu shares a lot in common with that salesperson.

The average guest spends only about three to four minutes with the menu, so it is important that your menu make a good first impression and directs him to the item you want purchased. This is true, whether you've been in business for a day or for a decade, but it is especially critical for the startup.