By Robert W. Kuypers | KuypersCreative.com
Introduction: The Sacred Cow on Your Menu
Every restaurant has at least one “sacred cow” on the menu. Sometimes it’s literally beef. Sometimes it’s that towering burger with six toppings. Sometimes it’s Grandma’s Famous Lasagna that’s been passed down since the Eisenhower administration.
It’s the dish everyone swears they love. Guests post it on Instagram. Servers talk it up. Your chef beams with pride when it leaves the kitchen.
But here’s the problem: while the plate might look good on TikTok, it’s quietly bleeding your bottom line dry.
In fact, if you dig into your menu engineering report (you do run one, right?), chances are at least three items are quietly assassinating your profits while everyone cheers them on.
In this article, I’ll break down:
- Why certain dishes are profit killers.
- How to identify them (hint: numbers, not feelings).
- What to do about it.
- How to re-engineer your menu so it works for you, not against you.
And yes, we’ll have some fun along the way—because nothing says “party” like contribution margins and food cost percentages.
Section 1: The Hidden Profit Vampires
Some menu items scream trouble. Others sneak under the radar. Here are the three most common offenders I see when consulting with restaurants:
1. The Over-Engineered Salad
It starts simple—lettuce, tomato, dressing. But then someone decides it needs avocado, roasted corn, candied pecans, quinoa, goat cheese, imported olives, and a drizzle of truffle oil. Suddenly you’re running a 37% food cost on a dish that sells for $13.95.
Guests love it, sure. But every time it leaves the pass, you’re basically giving diners a free appetizer on the house.
2. The Oversized Burger
Americans love burgers. But a half-pound patty, double bacon, cheddar, fried egg, and brioche bun? Delicious, yes. Profitable, no. Especially when you forgot to raise the price after last year’s beef cost spike.
You’re selling it at $15 because “that’s what burgers go for.” Reality: you need to charge $20 just to hit standard margins.
3. The Legacy Entrée That Time Forgot
Some dishes stay on the menu because of history. Maybe your founder loved it. Maybe three regulars still order it. Maybe your chef “just can’t let it go.”
Meanwhile, the plate costs $9 to make, sells for $16, and moves fewer than 10 units a week. That’s not nostalgia—it’s a hobby.
Section 2: Why Restaurants Keep Profit Killers
So why do operators hang onto these dishes like security blankets?
- Emotional Attachment: “But it’s our signature!”
- Fear of Guest Backlash: “People will riot if we remove it!”
- Chef Ego: “It’s my masterpiece.”
- Blind Spots: Nobody’s actually running the numbers.
Here’s the truth: 90% of guests won’t even notice when you retire a dish. The 10% who complain? They’ll order something else.
Section 3: Menu Engineering 101 (Don’t Worry, No Math Degree Required)
Menu engineering is simply evaluating each item on two axes:
- Popularity (sales volume)
- Profitability (contribution margin)
Items fall into four quadrants:
- Stars: High profit, high volume → promote these everywhere.
- Plow Horses: Low profit, high volume → raise price or rework recipe.
- Puzzles: High profit, low volume → market them better.
- Dogs: Low profit, low volume → kill them.
That kale-quinoa-monstrosity salad? Probably a Plow Horse. The lobster ravioli that costs $12 to make but sells 3 plates a week? Definitely a Dog.
Section 4: Strategies to Fix or Retire Items
1. Raise Prices (Gently)
Test raising price on Plow Horses. Even $1–$2 makes a huge difference in contribution margin.
2. Rework Ingredients
Swap in seasonal or lower-cost alternatives. That doesn’t mean cutting quality—just being smart.
3. Portion Control
Most oversized menu items can be scaled down slightly without affecting guest perception.
4. Retire the Dogs
Be ruthless. If it doesn’t make money and doesn’t sell, it’s gone.
Humor Break
Think of your menu like your closet. Do you really need that shirt from 2003 with “Tapout” across the chest? No. It’s ugly, it doesn’t fit, and it makes you look broke.
Menus are the same way. Clean them up.
Section 5: The Domino Effect of Smart Menu Engineering
When you eliminate unprofitable dishes:
- Margins Increase: Every sale contributes more to the bottom line.
- Kitchen Efficiency Improves: Fewer SKUs, fewer prep hours, less chaos.
- Staff Sell Better: Easier to recommend dishes they know are winners.
- Guests Are Happier: Yes, happier—because consistency improves and service speeds up.
Case Study: Friendly’s Frozen Money Pit
When I worked with a multi-unit concept (confidential, but let’s call them “Not-So-Friendly’s”), they were running a dessert menu where one sundae cost more to make than the price on the menu.
By reworking the recipe, raising price by $1.50, and marketing it as “premium,” they turned a 22% margin loser into a 62% profit machine. Sales increased 14% because perception of value went up.
Moral of the story: your “loss leaders” might actually be “profit leaders in disguise.”
Section 6: The Consultant’s Role
At Kuypers Creative, we’ve helped dozens of brands audit, re-engineer, and optimize their menus. We:
- Run contribution margin analysis.
- Build “Stars vs. Dogs” heatmaps.
- Test pricing elasticity.
- Train staff on upselling Stars.
- Reposition items through copywriting, plating, and placement.
The result? Average profit lift of 8–12% per location—without selling a single extra plate.
That’s the magic of menu optimization.
Q&A
Q: Won’t guests notice if I shrink portions or raise prices?
A: Not if you do it smartly. Reduce portion size slightly or add a value perception (premium plating, new description).
Q: Should I keep legacy dishes for nostalgia?
A: Only if they make money. Otherwise, put the recipe in your cookbook and move on.
Q: How often should I review my menu?
A: At least quarterly. Food costs and guest trends change too fast for annual updates.
Q: Is menu engineering only for big chains?
A: No. Independents often benefit even more because margins are tighter.
Outbound Links
Upserve Menu Engineering Guide
Aaron Allen & Associates on LinkedIn
Restaurant Business Menu Section
