Storytelling on your menu can significantly boost sales of your Stars (popular and profitable dishes). By adding a story, price acceptance and sales frequency often increase. Here's how to calculate the exact impact on your margin.
What are Stars and why storytelling works
Stars are dishes that are both popular and profitable - the goldmine of your menu. Storytelling increases perceived value, making guests willing to pay more and choose these dishes more often.
💡 Example Star with storytelling:
Instead of "Steak with fries" you write:
"Our dry-aged Limousin beef steak from the Achterhoek region, aged 28 days in our own aging cabinet. Served with hand-cut fries made from organic potatoes."
This justifies a higher price and attracts more attention.
The margin impact calculation
You measure the impact of storytelling in two parts: price increase and volume increase. Both have a direct effect on your total margin.
- Price effect: How much more can you charge for the same dish?
- Volume effect: How much more frequently is the dish ordered?
- Total effect: Combination of both on an annual basis
Step 1: Measure the current situation
Before you add storytelling, establish a baseline for your Star dish.
💡 Example baseline:
- Dish: Steak menu
- Current price: €28.00 (incl. VAT)
- Ingredient costs: €8.50
- Sales: 15 portions per week
- Current food cost: 33.2%
Record these figures for at least 4 weeks to get a reliable average.
Step 2: Calculate the price effect
With storytelling, you can often charge 10-25% more for the same dish. Test carefully with small increases.
💡 Price effect calculation:
- Old price: €28.00 (€25.69 excl. VAT)
- New price: €32.00 (€29.36 excl. VAT)
- Ingredient costs remain: €8.50
- New food cost: 29.0% (was 33.2%)
- Extra margin per portion: €3.67
At 15 portions/week = €2,862 extra margin per year
⚠️ Note:
Don't increase by more than €3-4 at once. Test guest reaction first. Too large jumps can deter customers.
Step 3: Measure the volume effect
Storytelling attracts attention. Many restaurant owners see 15-30% more sales of the described dish.
💡 Volume effect calculation:
- Old sales: 15 portions/week
- New sales: 19 portions/week (+27%)
- Extra volume: 4 portions/week
- Margin per portion (new price): €20.86
- Extra margin from volume: €4,339 per year
Step 4: Calculate the total impact
The total margin impact is the sum of price effect and volume effect.
💡 Total impact calculation:
- Price effect: €2,862 per year
- Volume effect: €4,339 per year
- Total effect: €7,201 per year
- Percentage improvement: +67% margin on this dish
What to do with the results
Measure the impact over 8-12 weeks to exclude seasonal effects. If it works, apply the same approach to other Stars.
- Document which storytelling elements work best
- Test different narratives (origin, preparation method, history)
- Keep track of which dishes benefit most from storytelling
- Use the extra margin to improve other dishes
A system like KitchenNmbrs helps you automatically track food cost changes, so you quickly see which adjustments work.
How do you calculate the margin impact of storytelling? (step by step)
Measure the baseline of your Star dish
Record for 4 weeks: current selling price, ingredient costs, number of portions sold per week, and current food cost percentage. This becomes your reference point.
Add storytelling and increase the price
Write a story about origin or preparation and increase the price by 10-15%. Calculate the new food cost and extra margin per portion.
Measure the effect after 8 weeks
Compare new sales figures with baseline. Calculate both the price effect and volume effect and add these together for the total margin impact per year.
✨ Pro tip
Test storytelling on just one Star dish before applying it to multiple dishes. This way you can measure the effect clearly and learn what works for your guests.
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
How much more can I charge for a dish with storytelling?
Start with a 10-15% price increase. For premium dishes, this can go up to 25%. Test carefully and observe how guests respond.
How long does it take to see the effect?
You usually see volume effects within 2-3 weeks. For reliable figures, measure for at least 8 weeks to exclude seasonal fluctuations.
Does storytelling work for all types of dishes?
It works best for premium dishes and signature items. For simple dishes like fries or soup, the effect is minimal.
What if sales actually drop due to the higher price?
Then the price increase was too large or the story wasn't convincing. Go back to the old price and try a smaller increase with a better story.
Do I need to add storytelling to all dishes?
No, focus on your Stars first. Too much text makes your menu confusing. Choose 3-5 signature dishes for detailed descriptions.
📚 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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