Menu mix

Definition in practice

Choose the category deliberately. Comparing appetizers with main dishes can confuse different buying occasions and prices. The classic menu-engineering method compares popularity with contribution, using a cutoff based on equal popularity adjusted by the method’s stated factor. The result is relative to the selected group, not an absolute measure of quality.

Formula and worked example

Item popularity % = item units sold ÷ total category units sold × 100.

Assume a category sells 200 items: 80 soups, 70 sandwiches and 50 salads. Their shares are 40%, 35% and 25%. These are sample counts, not demand forecasts. If drinks are added to the denominator, the shares change even though guests ordered exactly the same number of each food item.

Use it in the kitchen

Use a period that reflects the decision you are making. Record items that were unavailable or sold for only part of the period, because availability can explain low observed sales. Keep zero-sale offered items visible when they belong in the category, but exclude prep-only sub-recipes that guests cannot order.

Boundary check

A bundle can contain several components while appearing as one sales item. Decide how the bundle maps to a recipe before using its count. Otherwise the popularity denominator and the ingredient usage model can describe different transactions.

Keep the input record

Write the unit, period and preparation beside the figure you use. Keep the original receipt, count or recipe record available so another person can reproduce the calculation. A clearly labeled assumption is useful for planning; it should not later be mistaken for a measured result.

Use the linked calculator to test your own inputs, then check the result against the original record. The browser ledger can hold recipe quantities and purchase prices, while your stock and accounting records provide the wider operating context. Export a backup before replacing a working ledger.