Menu Engineering Calculator
Classify up to 12 dishes as Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles or Dogs from sales, price and food cost, with a clear action for each.
How to use the free Menu Engineering Calculator
- Enter your figures in the fields above – use real numbers from your PMS, channel manager or accounts.
- Tap the button to see the result instantly. Change any value to compare scenarios.
- Copy, print or save the result and use it in your daily or monthly review.
This Menu Engineering Calculator runs fully in your browser on mobile or desktop – no sign-up and nothing is uploaded. Free menu engineering calculator for restaurants. Enter sales, price and food cost for up to 12 dishes to find Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles and Dogs.
What menu engineering tells you
Menu engineering sorts every dish on two simple questions: does it sell well, and does it earn a good rupee margin per plate? A dish with a low food cost percentage is not always your best earner. A ₹480 mutton curry with a 40% food cost still leaves ₹288 per plate, while a ₹120 dessert at 18% leaves only about ₹98. This calculator uses the classic Kasavana and Smith method so you look at rupees of contribution, not just percentages.
Average CM = Total CM of all dishes ÷ Total plates sold
Popularity threshold = (1 ÷ number of dishes) × 70%
The four classes
- Star: high popularity, high CM. Protect it: keep the recipe, portion and plating consistent and give it the best place on the menu.
- Plowhorse: high popularity, low CM. Guests love it but it earns little. Re-cost the recipe, tighten the portion or raise the price in small steps.
- Puzzle: low popularity, high CM. It earns well when it sells. Improve its position, name and description, and ask servers to suggest it.
- Dog: low popularity, low CM. Rework it or remove it to make space for better dishes.
Getting reliable results
- Use quantities from your POS for one full month, so weekday and weekend patterns are both included.
- Analyse one section at a time, for example main course or starters. Comparing a dessert with a biryani gives misleading results.
- Take food cost per plate from a costed recipe, including garnish and a small allowance for oil and spices. The food cost calculator helps you check your overall food cost percentage.
- Enter prices without GST, because GST is not your revenue.
- Repeat the analysis every quarter and after every menu or price change.
Once you decide the changes, print a fresh menu and update the digital version linked from your menu QR code, so guests see the new layout straight away.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 70% rule in menu engineering?
A dish is treated as popular if its share of total plates sold is at least 70% of an equal share. With 10 dishes an equal share is 10%, so any dish with a menu mix of 7% or more counts as popular.
Should I remove every Dog from my menu?
Not always. Some low-selling dishes are needed for a guest group, such as a Jain or kids option. Rework the cost or price first, and remove the dish only if it still does not earn its place.
Why use contribution margin instead of food cost percentage?
Your bills are paid in rupees, not percentages. A dish with a higher food cost percentage can still leave more rupees per plate than a cheap dish with a low percentage.
Want a revenue expert to check your numbers?
Get a free OTA, pricing and reputation audit from Revgrow360 — no obligation.