What data do I need for menu engineering?

Item name, selling price, portion cost from your Recipe Cost Card, and units sold for a defined period (week or 4 weeks).

How are Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles, and Dogs defined?

Items are split by popularity (top 20% of unit sales by default) and by contribution margin vs median. High pop + high CM = Star; high pop + low CM = Plowhorse; low pop + high CM = Puzzle; low pop + low CM = Dog.

Can I test price changes safely?

Yes. Use the workbook’s Price Sensitivity control (+$0.25/+$0.50/+$1.00) to see margin deltas per unit before changing the printed price.

Menu Engineering Matrix Guide | Restaurant Profit Systems

Why this matters

Most “menu matrix” templates assume you already nailed portion cost. We upstream that work with the Recipe Cost Card, then this matrix sorts the mix so you can price, feature, or kill items with confidence.

Real inputs: Portion Cost (from your cost card) + Price + Units sold in period.
Real outputs: Contribution Margin (CM), 80/20 popularity flag, quadrant, and reprice sensitivity.
Storyboard: Stars (feature), Plowhorses (light reprice/portion), Puzzles (re-plate/rename), Dogs (de-feature).

Tip: Run separate matrices by daypart if your PMIX swings. Lunch “Stars” can be dinner “Puzzles.”

What you need (inputs)

Item dataCategory • Item name • Price

Portion CostFrom the Recipe Cost Card (uses yields + portion size)

PopularityUnits sold for the defined period (week or 4 weeks)

Step-by-step (first run)

Paste Item, Price, Portion Cost, and Units into the workbook’s MenuItems tab.
Set the Top % popularity flag (defaults 20%) and CM threshold mode (median recommended).
Review each item’s Quadrant and the Matrix summary. Note traffic drivers and margin drivers.
Use the Price Sensitivity control (+$0.25/+$0.50/+$1.00) to preview per-unit margin deltas before changing the printed price.

Interpreting quadrants

Star (high pop, high CM): Feature, protect throughput, guard quality. Consider small price nudge if demand is inelastic.
Plowhorse (high pop, low CM): Light price bump, trim garnish, cheaper side, or tweak portion. Don’t shock the regulars.
Puzzle (low pop, high CM): Re-plate, rename, reposition on the menu, or pair with a traffic driver.
Dog (low pop, low CM): De-feature, seasonal/limited-time only, or retire.

Price sensitivity tactics

Test small increments ($0.25–$1.00) on Stars and Plowhorses first. Watch units the following period—if volume holds, bank the margin; if it drops, split the difference or add perceived value.

Common traps

Using AP $/lb to cost cooked items. Fix with a quick Yield / Trim / Cook Loss test.
Chasing 80/20 strictly. Use it as a flag, then read your brand and guests.
Pricing from margin only. Check station capacity—don’t create a bottleneck to gain $0.30 CM.

Next steps

Lock costs with the Recipe Cost Card (allergy-ready fields).
Fix silent COGS creep with a Yield / Trim / Cook Loss run on top proteins.
Track weekly health with the Prime Cost Calculator.