Most restaurant owners think they know which dishes sell best, but they're usually wrong. The popularity index reveals exactly which dishes customers order most relative to your total sales. You'll finally see which items are true performers versus those just taking up menu space.
What is a popularity index?
The popularity index shows per dish what percentage of your total sales that dish represents. A dish with 15% popularity means that of every 100 dishes sold, 15 are of this dish.
- Above 10% = absolute top performer
- 5-10% = good seller
- 2-5% = average seller
- Below 2% = laggard
The formula for popularity index
The calculation couldn't be simpler:
Popularity index = (Number of portions sold of dish / Total number of dishes sold) × 100
💡 Example:
Restaurant De Smaak sold last month:
- Steak: 180 portions
- Salmon: 120 portions
- Pasta: 200 portions
- Other dishes: 300 portions
Total: 800 dishes
Popularity index pasta: (200 / 800) × 100 = 25%
Why measuring popularity matters
Popularity alone tells you nothing about profit. A dish can be wildly popular but generate minimal revenue. Or flip it around: a less popular dish might be incredibly profitable.
By combining popularity with profitability you create four categories:
- Stars: Popular AND profitable (keep them!)
- Plowhorses: Popular but NOT profitable (raise the price)
- Puzzles: Not popular but VERY profitable (promote more)
- Dogs: Not popular and NOT profitable (remove from menu)
How often should you measure popularity?
Check your popularity index monthly. Seasons, trends and new dishes shift what guests order dramatically. A dish that bombed in January can suddenly explode in summer.
⚠️ Note:
Measure popularity over at least 100 dishes sold. With lower sales volumes the percentages aren't reliable.
Increasing popularity of profitable dishes
Got a profitable dish that's selling poorly? Here's something most kitchen managers discover too late: menu placement matters more than taste. Try these tactics:
- Place it at the top of your menu
- Give it a catchy name
- Have your staff recommend it
- Make it a daily special
- Use it in social media posts
💡 Example menu engineering:
Your beef tenderloin has 35% margin but only 3% popularity. By promoting it sales rise to 8%. At 800 dishes per month this means:
- Was: 24 portions of beef tenderloin
- Becomes: 64 portions of beef tenderloin
- Extra: 40 portions × €12 margin = €480 per month
Result: €5,760 extra profit per year
Tools for tracking popularity index
Your POS system usually shows which dishes sell most frequently. For deeper analysis you can export this data to Excel or use tools like KitchenNmbrs that automatically calculate popularity and combine it with profitability.
The advantage of an integrated system? You immediately see which dishes fall into which category, without manual calculations.
How do you calculate the popularity index? (step by step)
Collect sales data per dish
Pull from your POS system how many portions of each dish you sold during the measurement period. Only count main courses, not drinks or side dishes.
Count the total number of dishes sold
Add up all portions sold of all dishes. This is your total sales in units, not in euros.
Calculate the popularity index per dish
Divide the number of portions sold of a dish by your total sales and multiply by 100. Do this for each dish to get your complete overview.
✨ Pro tip
Track your top 3 dishes over the past 30 days - they typically represent 45-55% of total sales. If these three items maintain healthy margins, your restaurant stays profitable.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I include drinks in the popularity index?
No, focus on main courses. Drinks have different sales dynamics and would skew your percentages.
What is a good popularity index for a new dish?
For a new dish, 2-3% is already solid. Give it at least 3 months to gain traction before drawing conclusions.
What if my most popular dish is the least profitable?
Gradually raise the price or reduce portion size. Don't remove it from the menu immediately - it brings customers in.
Can I increase popularity by placing dishes differently on the menu?
Absolutely. Menu order influences customer choices significantly. Place profitable dishes at the top or highlight them in a separate box.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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