Analytics++
Menu Engineering – Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles & Dogs
2 min read#6
Menu Engineering classifies your menu items into four categories based on popularity and margin. This is a powerful tool for optimizing your menu.
The matrix:
| High margin | Low margin | |
|---|---|---|
| High popularity | Stars – Keep and highlight | Plowhorses – Optimize price |
| Low popularity | Puzzles – Market more | Dogs – Consider removing |
Scatter plot:
- X-axis: Units sold (popularity)
- Y-axis: Margin per unit (SEK)
- Dot size: Revenue
- Color: Quadrant (green, yellow, blue, red)
- Dashed lines show median for popularity and margin
- Hover to see product name, quantity, margin, and revenue
Quadrant cards (2x2): Each card shows:
- Number of items
- Total revenue
- Average margin %
AI insights and recommendations:
| Icon | Insight |
|---|---|
| Top Plowhorse | "High volume, low margin – raise price 10–15 SEK" |
| Top Puzzle | "High margin, low volume – highlight on the menu" |
| Top Dog | "Low volume and margin – consider removing" |
| Category without Stars | "No star product in this category" |
Item table (grouped by quadrant):
- Expandable groups: Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles, Dogs
- Columns: Product, Category, Quantity, Revenue, Margin SEK/unit, Margin %
Missing cost prices: Items without cost price cannot be classified and are shown in a separate table with a warning.
Export: CSV with classification per product.
Tip: Review Menu Engineering at least once a month. Focus on moving Plowhorses toward Stars (raise price or lower cost) and give Puzzles more exposure.
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