Done-For-You Menu Analysis
A 2-week intensive that tears apart your menu item by item, shows you exactly what's making money and what's killing margin, and hands you optimized pricing you can implement immediately.
The Problem
Most operators are flying blind on what their menu actually costs
Prices haven't moved since costs did. Supplier prices went up 15-30% over the past two years. Did your menu prices? Most operators are selling at 2021 margins with 2024 costs.
You don't know your actual plate cost. You have a rough idea, maybe from when you opened. But ingredient costs change constantly—and small errors compound fast across hundreds of plates. A food cost consultant can rebuild your recipe cards from scratch.
Your best sellers might be your worst earners. High volume doesn't mean high profit. That signature dish everyone orders could be bleeding you dry while a "slow mover" prints money on every sale.
Pricing feels like guesswork. You don't have a system for setting prices. You look at competitors, add a buffer, and hope it works. That's not a strategy—it's a gamble.
Menu pricing errors are silent killers. A 3% food cost mistake on a $1M restaurant is $30,000 a year—and most operators are off by more than that.
The Solution
Every item costed. Every price optimized. No guesswork.
The Menu Engineering Sprint is a done-for-you engagement where we cost every item on your menu using current supplier prices, build a complete profitability matrix, and give you optimized pricing with target margins baked in.
You'll know exactly which items are Stars (high profit, high popularity), which are Dogs (dump them), and which Puzzles and Plowhorses need strategic adjustments. No more guessing.
High profit, high popularity. Protect these. Feature them prominently. Don't mess with what works.
Low profit, high popularity. Customers love them, but they're eating your margin. Re-engineer or reprice.
High profit, low popularity. Great margins but nobody orders them. Better positioning or marketing needed.
Low profit, low popularity. Why are these on your menu? Cut them or completely reinvent them.
Every recipe costed down to the ounce using your actual supplier prices. No estimates, no shortcuts.
New prices calculated to hit your target food cost percentage while staying competitive in your market.
Specific recommendations for each item: keep, cut, reposition, re-engineer, or reprice.
Who This Is For
You run your own place and set your own prices. You need a system, not a generic template.
Supplier prices have changed. Your recipes may have drifted. It's time to true things up.
Your P&L shows higher food cost than you'd expect, but you can't pinpoint why.
You know prices need to go up, but you want data to back the decisions—not guesswork.
You need at least 3 months of sales data so we can analyze what's actually selling.
We can do it, but it's a custom quote. Standard pricing covers menus up to 75 items.
What's Included
Everything you get at the end of the sprint
Every menu item costed using your actual recipes and current supplier prices. Includes portion costs, waste factors, and yield adjustments.
Visual quadrant showing every item classified as Star, Plowhorse, Puzzle, or Dog based on profitability and popularity.
Suggested pricing for every item based on your target food cost percentage, contribution margin goals, and market positioning.
Guidance on menu positioning, item placement, and visual hierarchy to drive customers toward your most profitable items.
Step-by-step guide for rolling out new prices, updating your POS, and communicating changes to staff and customers.
Live walkthrough of all findings plus strategic discussion on how to implement changes and handle customer reactions to new pricing.
Want to see exactly what you'll receive?
View Sample Menu Engineering ReportSample report using fictional data. Your analysis will be customized to your menu and sales mix.
How It Works
From kickoff to new pricing in 2 weeks
We discuss your menu, your market, your concerns, and your goals. You'll share what you think is working and what's not.
You send us your current menu, recipes (or descriptions), recent supplier invoices, and POS product mix report. We give you a simple checklist.
We build out detailed cost cards for every menu item using your actual supplier prices and portion sizes.
We combine cost data with your sales mix to build the profitability matrix and calculate optimized prices for every item.
You get the full report plus a 90-minute call to walk through findings, discuss implementation strategy, and answer all your questions.
Investment
Flat-fee pricing based on number of locations
| Restaurant Size | Price |
|---|---|
| Single Location (up to 75 menu items) | $3,500 |
| 2-3 Locations (shared menu) | $5,500 |
| 4+ Locations | Custom Quote |
| Variable Pricing Factors | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Menu with 75+ items | +$500 |
| Rush delivery (under 10 business days) | +25% |
$3,000 – $7,500: 50% deposit to start, 50% upon delivery
Over $7,500: 30% to start, 40% at midpoint, 30% upon delivery
Accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, ACH bank transfer, check.
Virtual delivery: This engagement is delivered virtually by default. No travel required.
On-site option: If you'd prefer an on-site visit for the strategy session, we can add that. Out-of-state travel expenses are covered by client.
Requirements
Documents and access to get started
⭐ Highly Recommended: If you have existing recipe cost cards (even partial or outdated), send those too. They dramatically speed up our costing process and improve accuracy.
No formal recipes? That's fine. We can work with detailed descriptions of what goes on each plate. We'll build the cost cards from scratch if needed.
Timeline
10-14 business days from receiving your documents to final delivery.
Timeline depends on menu size and how quickly you can gather documents.
Excel workbook with all cost cards, matrix, and pricing recommendations.
PDF summary report with key findings and implementation guide.
Live strategy call (90 minutes) to review and plan.
Rush delivery available: Need it faster? We can deliver in under 10 business days for an additional 25%.
Add-Ons
Extend your engagement if you need more support
Our Advisory retainer ($1,500/month) includes quarterly menu reviews, ongoing pricing guidance, and priority support as supplier costs change. Ask about it during your strategy call.
Questions
Once we receive your deposit and required documents, we typically kick off within 48-72 hours. Current availability is usually 1-2 weeks out.
No problem. We can work with detailed descriptions of what goes on each plate—proteins, produce, sauces, garnishes, portion sizes. We'll build the cost cards from your descriptions and supplier invoices.
We'll cost those using your recent invoice prices and build in appropriate margin buffers. We can also create a "floating price" recommendation tied to your cost threshold.
Some might notice, but most won't. We'll help you with implementation strategy—which items to adjust, how much at once, and how to position changes. Small, strategic increases are barely felt.
Great! We'll validate that and focus on optimization opportunities—items that could be priced higher, menu positioning to drive better mix, and protection strategies as costs change.
The deliverables include a detailed implementation checklist. If you want hands-on support during rollout, we offer a 30-day Implementation Support add-on ($750) or monthly Advisory retainer ($1,500/mo).
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, ACH bank transfer, or check. Payment terms depend on project size—see pricing section above.
Our Promise
If you implement our recommendations and don't see measurable improvement within 90 days, we'll continue working with you at no additional charge until you do.
Guarantee Terms: "Measurable improvement" is defined as documented positive movement in the specific metrics addressed by this engagement (e.g., food cost percentage, gross margin, contribution margin). To qualify for guarantee support, Client must: (1) implement at least 75% of recommendations within 60 days of delivery; (2) provide Restaurant Profit Systems with access to relevant financial reports and POS data to verify implementation and measure results; (3) respond to reasonable requests for information within 5 business days. Restaurant Profit Systems reserves the right to audit implementation and reporting accuracy. Guarantee does not apply if lack of improvement is attributable to factors outside the scope of the engagement, including but not limited to: failure to implement recommendations, significant changes to business operations, staffing, or market conditions, inaccurate or falsified data provided by Client, or force majeure events. Additional guarantee support is limited to advisory consultation; additional on-site visits or new deliverables may be quoted separately. This guarantee is valid for 90 days from the date of final deliverable.
Let's talk about your menu. Schedule a quick call and we'll see if the Menu Engineering Sprint is the right fit.