5.8. Menu Engineering Tool

Not every item on your menu does the same job. Some sell a lot, others leave more profit. Menu engineering sorts items into four groups by popularity and contribution margin, so you can decide which items to protect and which to improve. In this lesson you will learn the method and the Menü mühendisliği (menu engineering) tool in Ritapos.

What menu engineering is

Menu engineering is a menu analysis method published by Kasavana and Smith in 1982 (Kasavana and Smith, 1982). It looks at every item through two questions:

  • Does this item sell enough? (popularity)
  • Does this item leave enough contribution? (contribution margin)

The method is widely taught in cost control books and course materials (Dopson and Hayes, 2015; BC Cook Articulation Committee, 2015). It has also been applied in restaurants in Türkiye (Doğan and Yılmaz, 2026; Dursun and Sormaz, 2022).

Contribution margin and popularity

Contribution margin is what remains of a portion's sale price after its cost:

Contribution margin = Sale price - Portion cost

An item's contribution is high if it is equal to or above the menu's average contribution.

For popularity, the common rule is the 70% rule. In the words of Dopson and Hayes, "Some menu analysis experts maintain that any menu item that achieves at least 70 percent of the average number sold be considered a high-popularity menu item" (Dopson and Hayes, 2015). The same rule is also stated as 70% of the expected sales share. The two forms are mathematically the same (BC Cook Articulation Committee, 2015).

Ritapos shows this rule with the Popülerlik indeksi (popularity index):

Popularity index = Item quantity sold / Average quantity sold x 100

An index of 70 or more means high popularity. The on-screen note says the same: the high popularity threshold is 70 percent of the menu average, and high contribution is the menu's average contribution or above.

The four quadrants

Combining the two measures gives four groups. Their names in Ritapos and the on-screen advice are:

  • Yıldız (Star: high popularity, high contribution): sells a lot and leaves contribution; keep it visible.
  • Lokomotif (Plowhorse in Kasavana and Smith's method: high popularity, low contribution): sells a lot but contributes little; review cost or price.
  • Bulmaca (Puzzle: low popularity, high contribution): good contribution but low sales; raise popularity with presentation and recommendations.
  • Zayıf (Dog: low popularity, low contribution): low sales and low contribution; consider removing or repositioning it.

Star, Plowhorse, Puzzle and Dog are the names used in Kasavana and Smith's method (Collins, n.d.). A Turkish study uses Yıldızlar, Beygirler, Bilmeceler and Sorunlular (Dursun and Sormaz, 2022).

Opening menu engineering

Open Araçlar > Menü mühendisliği (tools, menu engineering). The tool is part of the premium package. The user's role needs the Raporlar: Detaylı (reports: detailed) permission.

  1. Choose a date range.
  2. In the Ürün grupları (product groups) panel on the left, switch on the groups to analyse. You can use the Tümünü seç (select all) and Seçimi kaldır (clear selection) links and the Ara (search) box.
  3. If needed, turn on Maliyeti tanımlı olmayanları analizden çıkar. (leave out items without a cost). This option is off when the page opens.
  4. Click Rapor oluştur (create report).

The tool has no step by step wizard. Product groups, the date range and the results are all on the same page. The start time in the date picker defaults to 04:00. To include the whole day, set the start time to 00:00.

Menu engineering page: on the left the Ürün grupları panel with Tümünü seç | Seçimi kaldır (8), an Ara box and eight group switches; on the right the date range, Rapor oluştur button, the Maliyeti tanımlı olmayanları analizden çıkar switch turned off and four quadrant cards at 0
The product groups panel and the page before the report

Analyse similar items together. For example, review main courses in one report and drinks in another. Comparing a soup with a main course in the same analysis can be misleading.

Items without a cost show a contribution margin higher than it is. Before analysing, make sure every item has a cost. Recipe cost and product cost are kept separate by design: you can try options in the recipe, while menu engineering is calculated with the Maliyet value you decided on and applied to the product (5.3. Cost Calculation).

Quadrant cards and the table

The report shows one card for each quadrant, with the number of items in it and the on-screen advice. The screen rounds percentages to whole numbers.

Quadrant cards with the option on: Yıldız 0, Lokomotif 3, Bulmaca 2, Zayıf 1, each with its on-screen advice
Quadrant cards with the option on

The table below the cards has these columns: Grup (group), Ürün (item), Miktar (quantity), Satış fiyatı (sale price), Maliyet (cost), Katkı marjı (contribution margin), Katkı oranı (contribution ratio), Food cost, Popülerlik indeksi (popularity index) and Kadran (quadrant).

Menu engineering table: Grup, Ürün, Miktar, Satış fiyatı, Maliyet, Katkı marjı, Katkı oranı, Food cost, Popülerlik indeksi and Kadran columns; six items sorted by popularity index
The item table

The Menü mühendisliği kadranı (menu engineering quadrant) chart places items by Popülerlik indeksi (popularity index) and Katkı marjı (contribution margin). Dashed lines show the popularity threshold and the menu average contribution. Use the Hepsi (all), Yıldız, Lokomotif, Bulmaca and Zayıf buttons above the chart to filter the results by quadrant.

Menu engineering quadrant chart with the Bulmaca filter on: Kuzu pirzola and Somon ızgara points, dashed popularity threshold and menu average contribution lines; below, the filtered table with the Somon ızgara row
The quadrant chart with the Bulmaca filter

Example: a six-item menu

The values below are the Akademi demo data shown in the images. Date range 01.10.2026 00:00 to 09.10.2026 04:00, all product groups selected and Maliyeti tanımlı olmayanları analizden çıkar. turned on:

  • Grilled meatballs: price 320.00₺, cost 112.00₺, contribution 208.00₺, 18 sold
  • Chicken skewer: price 280.00₺, cost 84.00₺, contribution 196.00₺, 15 sold
  • Lamb chops: price 650.00₺, cost 260.00₺, contribution 390.00₺, 4 sold
  • Lentil soup: price 120.00₺, cost 30.00₺, contribution 90.00₺, 20 sold
  • Grilled salmon: price 540.00₺, cost 210.00₺, contribution 330.00₺, 6 sold
  • Caesar salad: price 260.00₺, cost 104.00₺, contribution 156.00₺, 7 sold

The screen shows percentages rounded to whole numbers. For example, the lentil soup's contribution ratio is 90 / 120 x 100 = 75%.

A total of 70 portions were sold. The average quantity is 70 / 6 = 11.67. The popularity threshold is 0.70 x 11.67 = 8.17 portions. Grilled meatballs, chicken skewer and lentil soup have high popularity. For example, the grilled meatballs' popularity index is calculated as 18 / 11.67 x 100 = 154.29.

In Ritapos, average contribution is the average of the item contributions: (208 + 196 + 390 + 90 + 330 + 156) / 6 = 228.33₺. On that basis, the cards show Yıldız 0, Lokomotif 3, Bulmaca 2 and Zayıf 1 items:

  • Lokomotif (Plowhorse): grilled meatballs, chicken skewer, lentil soup
  • Bulmaca (Puzzle): lamb chops, grilled salmon
  • Zayıf (Dog): Caesar salad

With the option turned off: when you turn off Maliyeti tanımlı olmayanları analizden çıkar. on an open report, the results update right away. You do not need to click Rapor oluştur again. Soda, which has no cost, joins the analysis and this note appears: "Bazı ürünlerin bu dönemde porsiyon maliyeti yok; katkı yüksek görünebilir." (some items have no portion cost in this period; contribution may look high). Soda's contribution is its whole sale price (40.00₺). The simple average contribution of the seven items drops to 1,410 / 7 = 201.43₺. The cards become Yıldız 1 (grilled meatballs), Lokomotif 2, Bulmaca 2 and Zayıf 2 (Caesar salad, Soda). A single item without a cost can change another item's quadrant.

Orange note with the option off: Bazı ürünlerin bu dönemde porsiyon maliyeti yok; katkı yüksek görünebilir. Quadrant cards Yıldız 1, Lokomotif 2, Bulmaca 2, Zayıf 2
The note and quadrant cards with the option off

Average contribution: two approaches

Average contribution can be calculated in two ways:

  • Simple average: sum of item contributions / number of items. Ritapos uses this approach. Some course materials use it too (Collins, n.d.).
  • Weighted average: total contribution / total quantity sold. Kasavana and Smith's classic method uses this approach (Dopson and Hayes, 2015; BC Cook Articulation Committee, 2015; Dursun and Sormaz, 2022).

In the example, total contribution is 13,116.00₺. The weighted average is 13,116 / 70 = 187.37₺. Against this average, grilled meatballs (208.00₺) and chicken skewer (196.00₺) count as high contribution and become Yıldız (Star). The other items keep their quadrant.

The gap comes from expensive items that sell little. Lamb chops and salmon raise the simple average. In the weighted average their effect shrinks because they sell less.

For items close to a boundary, consider both approaches. You can work out the weighted average yourself from the Katkı marjı and Miktar columns in the table.

Other approaches exist as well. Miller's model uses food cost percentage instead of contribution margin. Pavesic's cost/margin analysis looks at food cost percentage and weighted contribution together (Dursun and Sormaz, 2022).

What to do in each quadrant

  • Yıldız (Star): keep quality and portion steady. Leave it in a visible spot on the menu.
  • Lokomotif (Plowhorse): review the recipe cost. Consider adjusting the portion or ingredients, or a small price increase.
  • Bulmaca (Puzzle): improve its place, name or description on the menu. Ask the service team to recommend it.
  • Zayıf (Dog): consider removing or redesigning it. If the item is needed for another reason, such as what a group of guests expects, take that into account too.

After making changes, wait for a similar period, run the analysis again and compare the results.

For a quick analysis outside Ritapos, you can use the menu engineering analyzer. It uses the Star, Plowhorse, Puzzle and Dog names. For more on the method, see the restaurant menu engineering page.

To compare item food cost with your target, see 5.6. Food Cost Tool.

Sources

  • The BC Cook Articulation Committee (2015). Basic Kitchen and Food Service Management. BCcampus. Chapter: Describe the Principles of Menu Engineering. opentextbc.ca
  • Collins, G. (n.d.). HA270 Menu Engineering Exercise. Northern Arizona University. jan.ucc.nau.edu
  • Doğan, G. and Yılmaz, İ. (2026). Menu Engineering Application within Menu Management: A Case Study of Four Restaurants in Ankara. Kapadokya Gastronomi, Gıda ve Turizm Çalışmaları Dergisi, 1(2), 1-13. dergipark.org.tr
  • Dopson, L. R. and Hayes, D. K. (2015). Food and Beverage Cost Control. 6th edition. Wiley. Chapter 10.
  • Dursun, K. and Sormaz, Ü. (2022). Büyük ölçekli restoranlarda menü mühendisliği analizi: Antalya ilinde bir uygulama [Menu engineering analysis in large-scale restaurants: an application in Antalya]. Turizm Ekonomi ve İşletme Araştırmaları Dergisi, 4(2), 148-161. dergipark.org.tr
  • Kasavana, M. L. and Smith, D. I. (1982). Menu Engineering: A Practical Guide to Menu Analysis. Hospitality Publications.