Menu design is critical to the success of a restaurant, and it can affect the customer's perception of the restaurant and their willingness to spend. Menu engineering also involves understanding the psychology of customer behavior and using that knowledge to influence their decisions.
The Menu Engineers
Did you know that popular restaurants often seek assistance from a specialized and relatively unknown group of professionals known as "menu engineers"? Well, it turns out there are many menu engineers and analysts in the industry and we’ll name the top-notch companies and individuals in the field:
- Gregg Rapp - A renowned menu engineer who has worked with over 5,000 restaurants worldwide, including McDonald's, Hard Rock Cafe, and TGI Fridays.
- Michael Atkinson - A restaurant consultant and menu engineer who has worked with several restaurants and foodservice companies, including PepsiCo, Subway, and Marriott.
- The Culinary Edge - A restaurant consulting firm based in San Francisco that specializes in menu design, development, and optimization. They have worked with several high-profile clients, including Starbucks, Cheesecake Factory, and Applebee's.
All of these experts have based their work on scientific evidence, derived from numerous researches that have been conducted over the years, most of them funded by hospitality schools.
We've gathered the most valuable tricks and tactics from these professionals, that can be implemented in any restaurant, without having to break the bank and pay thousands of dollars for a consultation.
The Menu Engineering Chart
Small Menu Changes Can Make a Big Impact on Restaurant Profits
While an engineered menu may not necessarily persuade customers to order something they wouldn't have otherwise, it can sway them in moments of indecision. A well-designed menu is strategically laid out to guide customers toward high-profit margin items by using design elements like boxes or borders.
Eye movement patterns
Research has shown that customers typically follow a specific eye movement pattern when scanning a menu. For a two-page menu, the eyes tend to follow a reverse "Z" pattern, starting at the top right, then moving to the top left, then the bottom right, and finally the bottom left. In contrast, one-page menus tend to draw the eye about a third of the way down from the top before moving up and then scrolling back down.
So make sure to reserve the top-right corner of your two-page menu for high-margin items or add-ons such as appetizers. Draw even more attention to them by adding design elements like boxes or bolding. Draw a line around the item you want to promote, or in other words, box it off, so that people will notice it immediately. However, it's essential to strike a balance between highlighting high-profit items and maintaining a clear and organized menu design. Using too many design elements can lead to a cluttered and chaotic menu, reducing the overall appeal.
Descriptive Language Can Influence Customer Behavior
Use descriptive and authentic-sounding words like signature, famous, and seasonal to make your customers feel special. Use yourself for reference - What would you rather order? A $13 white fish fillet dish or an $18 wild-cod grilled fillet garnished with seasonal steamed vegetables?
Labeling a dish with a catchy and unique name like "Mom's Homemade Mac and Cheese" or "Bistro's Signature Mac and Four Cheese Casserole" can make it more appealing to customers and increase sales. Even if the dish is similar to what's offered at other restaurants, the unique name creates a sense of exclusivity and makes the customer feel like they can only get it there. This is a simple but effective menu engineering strategy that can make a big impact on sales
Remove the Currency Symbol
A 2009 study named “$ or Dollars: Effects of Menu-price Formats on Restaurant Checks” by the Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell University has demonstrated that presenting prices as standalone numbers, without the dollar sign ($), can encourage diners to spend more. The price formats tested were a dollars and cents numerical format with a dollar sign ($00.00), a numerical format without a dollar sign (00.), and scripted or written-out prices (zero dollars).
While the numerical manipulation did not significantly affect total spending when compared to such non-menu factors as party size or length of time at the table, the price formats did show noticeable differences. Contrary to expectations, guests given the numeral-only menu spent significantly more than those who received a menu with prices showing a dollar sign or those whose menus had prices written out in words.
Yang, Sybil S.; Kimes, Sheryl E.; Sessarego, Mauro M.
The research shows that the presence of a currency symbol, can trigger a defense mechanism in our brains that associates the symbol with cost, rather than gain. This, in turn, can cause customers to focus on cheaper dishes. Presenting prices as standalone numbers without the symbol can be more effective in encouraging diners to make purchasing decisions based on other factors, such as the dish's description and quality.
However, it's important to note that in countries like Cuba where multiple currencies are actively used, such as the CUC and CUP, removing the currency symbol from the price may not be the best approach as it could cause confusion among customers. In such cases, it may be better to display prices in both currencies or to use a clear and recognizable symbol to differentiate between them.
Price Anchoring
Another tip is to use anchor dishes. According to pricing expert William Poundstone, high-priced items on a menu can act as a price anchor, making other dishes seem like a better value. For instance, if a menu includes a high-priced item like a £70 seafood plate, nearby items that are less expensive, such as a £43 Le Grand plate, will appear to be more reasonably priced by comparison. This pricing strategy is commonly used in the restaurant industry to encourage customers to choose higher-margin dishes.
People tend to be clueless about prices. Contrary to economic theory, we do not really decide between A and B by consulting our invisible price tags and purchasing the one that yields the higher utility. We make do with guesstimates and a vague recollection of what things are ‘supposed to cost.’
— author of Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value
Listing Prices in a Straight Column is a Big NO
Another valuable tip that Mr. William Poundstone shares is - Never list your prices in a straight column, as the customers' eyes will be immediately drawn to the cheapest items or the lower numbers.
He also advises against using leader dots to connect the dish to the price, as it can draw the diner's attention straight to the numbers, causing them to focus on the price rather than the dish itself. This can be particularly problematic when trying to promote higher-margin items. Instead, he suggests using other design strategies to highlight the dishes, like a star symbol* next to it or writing a (best seller) below the item.
What About Digital Menus?
Since digital menus are relatively new, there aren't many studies on how customers are using them. But one of the leading menu engineering gurus Michele Benesch says that she adopted a different approach with smartphone menus by breaking some of the traditional design rules.
She advises the use of multiple font sizes on the same page. For example, you can increase the font size of high-priority items by 2 points to highlight them and make them stand out. Although this subtle change is not visible at first glance, it can make a big impact and grab the attention of the customer.
Also, using different fonts or colors is a great way to emphasize a certain item you want your customers to notice.
Neat Menu can be a great ally for this mission, as our interface is completely customizable, and you can play around with different fonts, sizes, colors, and backgrounds in order to perfectly optimize your digital menu.
