Menu engineering is a crucial aspect of running a successful restaurant or food service establishment. One tool that can greatly aid in this process is a Dog Star Chart.
What is a Dog Star Chart?
A Dog Star Chart is a graphical representation of menu items plotted on a grid based on their popularity and profitability. Menu items are classified into four categories: Stars, Plow Horses, Puzzles, and Dogs.
Creating a Dog Star Chart:
Creating a Dog Star chart is a labor intensive task that requires a high level of spreadsheet expertise. But with meez, and using our menus feature we make it easy.
Create a menu: Creating a menu is easy in meez. We lay out all the steps for you here. For each menu items, be sure to include:
Quantity sold
Sell price
Current costs
Pro Tip: Use our Sale Import Tool to jump start your menus
Learn more from our help article here!
Let meez do the rest: Once your menu is complete, leave the calculations and analysis to us as we automatically calculate the profitability and popularity of each menu item. We plot and categorize each menu item on an easy to read chart in our Analytics Dashboard.
Optimize your menu: Using our tips below, modify your menu to improve its profitability and customer satisfaction.
Using a Dog Star Chart for Menu Engineering:
Identify Stars: Stars are high in both profitability and popularity. These are your best-performing items and should be highlighted on the menu. Consider promoting them further to capitalize on their popularity.
Nurture Puzzles: Puzzles are highly profitable but may not be as popular. These items provide a steady stream of income and should be maintained and possibly promoted to increase their popularity. Consider making them a limited time offer or a special to increase their popularity
Examine Plow Horses: Plow Horses are your crowd-pleasers but not highly profitable. These items may require adjustments in pricing or ingredients to improve profitability. Monitor their performance closely to determine if they have the potential to become Stars with slight changes.
Manage Dogs: Dogs are neither profitable nor popular. These items should be either removed from the menu or reworked to improve their appeal or profitability. Keeping Dogs on the menu can drag down overall profitability and customer satisfaction.
Regular Review: Menu engineering is an ongoing process. Regularly review your Dog Star Chart and update it with new data. Trends may change over time, so staying proactive is essential to maintaining a successful menu.
A Dog Star Chart is a valuable tool for menu engineering, helping restaurant owners and managers make informed decisions about their menu offerings. By analyzing the profitability and popularity of each item, you can optimize your menu to maximize profitability and customer satisfaction. With regular review and adjustment, you can ensure that your menu remains competitive and profitable.