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Menu Engineering Calculator
Classify items using the Kasavana & Smith 70% popularity rule and sales-weighted contribution margin. Contribution margin excludes labor and overhead.
Default numbers are an example, not industry data.
Formula
Item CM = price − food cost. Menu mix = units sold ÷ total units × 100. High popularity ≥ 70% ÷ number of items. High profitability ≥ sales-weighted average CM.
How it works
The Kasavana & Smith (1982) method compares popularity with contribution margin. Enter units sold, net menu price excluding VAT or sales tax, and ingredient cost per item for comparable dishes over one period. Contribution margin here excludes labor and overhead.
The popularity threshold is 70% of an equal share: with four items, 70% × 25% equals 17.5% of units sold. This calculator compares item contribution margin with the sales-weighted average contribution margin. Including unrelated categories or mixing periods can make classifications misleading.
Protect Stars with consistent execution. For Plowhorses, review portions, sourcing or careful price changes. Give Puzzles clearer placement or selling support. Review Dogs for revision or removal while considering guest needs and menu role. Test changes and reassess; a classification is a prompt for review, not an automatic decision.
Worked example
100 units sold produce 1,020.00 total CM and 10.20 weighted average CM. The popularity threshold is 17.50%. House pasta is a Star, Lunch bowl a Plowhorse, Special a Puzzle and Side a Dog.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 70% popularity rule?
High popularity means an item’s unit-sales share reaches at least 70% of the equal share across items. With four items the threshold is 17.5%.
How is high profitability determined?
An item’s price minus food cost is compared with the sales-weighted average contribution margin. Equal to or above that average is classed as high.
Should I remove every Dog?
No. Review demand, preparation effort, dietary needs and its role in the menu before revising or removing it. The classification does not include all costs or strategic considerations.
Are my inputs saved or uploaded?
Calculations run in your browser. Inputs are not uploaded by the calculator. Sharing puts the inputs in a readable URL; anyone with that link can see them.