Menu engineering focuses on which two aspects of menu items?

Menu engineering focuses on which two aspects of menu items?

• A. Nutritional content and portion size
• B. Popularity and contribution to profit
• C. Color and packaging
• D. Supplier reliability and lead time

Answer: (B)

Menu engineering analyzes each item by two key factors: how often it is ordered (popularity) and how much profit it contributes (profitability). This pair of metrics lets you see which dishes drive sales and which actually earn money, and how they interact on the plate. By placing items on a chart that compares popularity to profitability, you can identify stars (high in both), puzzles (high profitability but low popularity), plow horses (high popularity but low profitability), and dogs (low in both). This helps you decide what to promote, adjust, or remove, and how to price or market items to improve overall menu performance. The other options miss the heart of menu engineering: they focus on nutrition, appearance, or supply factors rather than the financial impact of the menu items.

Menu engineering analyzes each item by two key factors: how often it is ordered (popularity) and how much profit it contributes (profitability). This pair of metrics lets you see which dishes drive sales and which actually earn money, and how they interact on the plate. By placing items on a chart that compares popularity to profitability, you can identify stars (high in both), puzzles (high profitability but low popularity), plow horses (high popularity but low profitability), and dogs (low in both). This helps you decide what to promote, adjust, or remove, and how to price or market items to improve overall menu performance. The other options miss the heart of menu engineering: they focus on nutrition, appearance, or supply factors rather than the financial impact of the menu items.