I'll admit it - I used to hand my designer a stack of sales reports and expect magic to happen. Menu engineering data means nothing if you can't translate those numbers into clear design instructions. Your brief needs to guide every visual choice toward driving sales to the right dishes.
What is a menu engineering brief?
A menu engineering brief transforms your data into actionable design directions. You're not just explaining how the menu should look, but why specific dishes need strategic positioning over others.
💡 Example menu engineering results:
After analyzing your sales data:
- Stars: Teriyaki salmon (popular + profitable 28% food cost)
- Plowhorses: Steak (popular but 38% food cost)
- Puzzles: Duck breast (profitable 26% but low sales)
- Dogs: Pasta carbonara (unpopular + 35% food cost)
Setting priorities in your brief
Create a clear hierarchy for your designer. Which dishes deserve the spotlight, which need subtle treatment, and which should fade into the background?
- Promote: Stars (popular + profitable) command the most attention
- Reposition: Puzzles (profitable but unpopular) need better visibility
- Downgrade: Plowhorses receive less prominent placement
- Replace: Dogs get phased out or repositioned entirely
⚠️ Note:
Don't tell your designer which dishes are "underperforming." Focus on what deserves promotion instead of what needs hiding.
Formulating concrete design guidelines
Convert your menu engineering insights into visual instructions designers can execute. Consider placement, typography, color choices, and spacing.
Placement and visibility
- Golden triangle: Top right of the page - reserve this for your Stars
- First items per category: Puzzles you want to boost
- Middle of lists: Plowhorses you want to de-emphasize
- Bottom: Dogs you're phasing out
💡 Example placement brief:
"Position these 3 dishes prominently at the top right of each section:"
- Teriyaki salmon (main courses)
- Burrata salad (appetizers)
- Chocolate lava cake (desserts)
"These dishes can use standard formatting without special emphasis."
Typography and color as sales tools
Deploy different fonts, weights, and colors to guide attention. But keep it natural - guests should feel they're making their own choices.
- Bold: Reserve for Stars and select Puzzles only
- Color accents: Subtle highlights for top performers
- Larger font size: For dish names you're pushing
- Standard formatting: For Plowhorses and Dogs
Descriptions and sales copy
After managing kitchen operations for nearly a decade, I've learned that description length directly impacts ordering behavior. Specify which dishes need compelling, detailed copy and which can stay simple.
💡 Example description instructions:
For Stars (detailed):
"Teriyaki salmon - Fresh Norwegian salmon, slow-cooked to perfection, glazed with our signature soy-mirin-ginger marinade. Accompanied by seasonal roasted vegetables and house-made wasabi mayo."
For Dogs (minimal):
"Pasta carbonara - Spaghetti with bacon, egg and parmesan."
Using price presentation strategically
Price display affects guest decisions. Use this psychology to steer orders toward profitable dishes.
- No euro symbols: For pricey Stars to minimize price sensitivity
- Anchor prices: Position expensive items at category tops to make others seem reasonable
- Bundling: Pair Stars with sides for higher check averages
Putting together the complete brief
An effective brief combines data with clear design translations. Provide context while keeping instructions practical for your designer.
⚠️ Note:
Don't send raw data alone. Always convert it into specific design choices with clear reasoning behind each decision.
How do you create a menu engineering brief? (step by step)
Analyze your menu engineering data
Categorize your dishes based on popularity and profitability. Identify Stars (promote), Puzzles (reposition), Plowhorses (downgrade), and Dogs (replace). Create a list of maximum 5 dishes per category.
Establish visual priorities
Determine which dishes deserve the most visual attention. Stars get prominent placement and formatting, Puzzles get better visibility, Plowhorses are presented neutrally. Make concrete agreements about placement, typography, and color use.
Write out the design guidelines
Translate your priorities into concrete instructions for the designer. Specify which dishes should go where, what formatting they get, and how detailed their descriptions should be. Add examples of desired and undesired presentation.
✨ Pro tip
Track exactly which dishes get reordered within your first 30 days after redesign - this tells you if your visual hierarchy actually drives behavior toward your targeted Stars and Puzzles.
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 tell my designer why certain dishes get less attention?
Focus on what deserves promotion rather than what needs hiding. Say 'these 3 dishes need extra emphasis' instead of 'this dish performs poorly.' Frame everything positively around your winners.
What if my designer finds the brief too complex?
Start with your top 3 priorities: which dishes should stand out most prominently. You can refine secondary details later. A skilled designer grasps that menu design is sales psychology in action.
How do I prevent my menu from looking overly commercial?
Keep visual differences subtle and elegant. Use slightly bolder typography or additional whitespace instead of bright colors or dramatic font size variations. The best menu engineering feels invisible to guests.
📚 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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