Whether a dish is above or below…

Quick answer

Menu engineering reveals which dishes customers actually order versus those collecting dust on your menu. Calculate each dish's popularity against your menu average to spot winners and losers instantly.

Menu engineering reveals which dishes customers actually order versus those collecting dust on your menu. Calculate each dish's popularity against your menu average to spot winners and losers instantly.

What is average popularity?

Average popularity shows the percentage each dish would sell if customers ordered everything equally. Got 10 dishes? Each should hit 10% of total sales.

? Example:

Your menu features 8 main courses. Last month you moved 400 main courses total:

Average per dish: 400 ÷ 8 = 50 units
Average popularity: 50 ÷ 400 = 12.5%

Each dish should hit 12.5% of your sales.

Calculate actual popularity per dish

Run this formula for every dish: Popularity % = (Number sold / Total sold) × 100

? Example popularity calculation:

From your 400 main courses sold:

Steak: 80 units → 80 ÷ 400 = 20%
Pasta carbonara: 65 units → 65 ÷ 400 = 16.25%
Salmon: 45 units → 45 ÷ 400 = 11.25%
Vegetarian curry: 25 units → 25 ÷ 400 = 6.25%

Compare with the average

Stack each dish's actual popularity against your 12.5% average:

Above average: Steak (20%) and Pasta carbonara (16.25%)
Below average: Salmon (11.25%) and Vegetarian curry (6.25%)

⚠️ Note:

Compare apples to apples. Main courses compete with main courses, not appetizers or desserts. Different categories naturally have different sales volumes.

What do the results mean?

Dishes scoring above average are your crowd-pleasers. You can:

Feature them prominently on your menu layout
Push them on social media
Train staff to suggest them first

Dishes scoring below average need work:

Review pricing (maybe too steep?)
Rewrite menu descriptions
Tweak the recipe
Replace consistently poor performers

? Menu engineering matrix:

Mix popularity with profitability for the full picture:

Stars: Popular + profitable → promote heavily
Plowhorses: Popular + low profit → bump prices
Puzzles: Unpopular + profitable → market harder
Dogs: Unpopular + unprofitable → cut them

How often should you check this?

Run popularity numbers monthly. After managing kitchen operations for nearly a decade, I've seen how seasons, food trends, and menu changes shift these ratios fast.

Tools like KitchenNmbrs can crunch these numbers automatically from your POS data, showing you instantly which dishes perform above or below average.

How do you calculate popularity vs average? (step by step)

Gather your sales data

Pull from your POS system how much you sold of each dish in a specific period (for example, last month). Only count comparable dishes - main courses with main courses.

Calculate the average

Divide your total sales by the number of dishes. With 400 sold main courses and 8 dishes on the menu: 400 ÷ 8 = 50 units average per dish. That's 12.5% average popularity.

Compare each dish

Calculate for each dish: (number sold ÷ total sold) × 100. Compare this percentage with your average. Above average = popular, below average = less popular.

✨ Pro tip

Track each dish's popularity over a 90-day rolling window to spot genuine trends versus temporary dips. Dishes that stay below 70% of average popularity for three consecutive months need serious attention.

Calculate this yourself?

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Frequently asked questions

Should I count all dishes when calculating the average?

No, stick to comparable categories. Compare main courses with main courses, desserts with desserts. A tiramisu will naturally sell less than your signature burger.

What if a dish is new on the menu?

Fresh dishes typically show lower popularity since customers haven't discovered them yet. Give new additions at least 2-3 months before making popularity judgments.

How often should I run this analysis?

Monthly checks work well for most restaurants. Seasonal shifts and changing trends can flip your ratios quickly - summer favorites often bomb in winter.

What if all my dishes score below average?

You've probably made a math error somewhere. By definition, the average splits dishes roughly in half - some above, some below. Double-check your calculations.

Should I automatically remove unpopular dishes?

Not necessarily. Check profitability first - a slow-selling dish with fat margins might still boost your bottom line more than popular low-margin items.

Can external factors affect dish popularity calculations?

Absolutely. Special events, weather changes, supply shortages, or even staff recommendations can skew your numbers. Factor in any unusual circumstances before making menu decisions.

ℹ️ This article was prepared based on official sources and professional expertise. While we strive for current and accurate information, the content may differ from the most recent regulations. Always consult the official authorities for binding standards.

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

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.

8 years kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group Rotterdam

Expertise: food cost management HACCP kitchen management restaurant operations food safety compliance

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