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₹KitchenMath
Guests sharing dishes at a restaurant table

New · free calculator

Menu Engineering Calculator

Run every dish through the same payout calculation, then sort the menu into Stars, Plow Horses, Puzzles and Dogs.

Start calculating How to use
  • Profit per unit
  • Total profit
  • Category
  1. 1Enter your discount %, commission %, ads % and packaging charge once. They apply to every dish.
  2. 2For each dish, enter the selling price, dish cost, labour, packaging cost and units sold, or import a CSV.
  3. 3Each dish gets a category by comparing its profit per unit and units sold with the menu averages.
  4. 4Promote Puzzles, reprice Plow Horses, and review Dogs.
Colours: within reference range worth a look needs actionHover or tap ⓘ next to any field for an explanation.Full help guide →
Example numbers: replace them with yours

Platform rates

Entered once, used for every dish. GST on commission is fixed at 18%.

Dishes (10)

  • Profit ₹93.42/unit · total ₹59,789Star
  • Profit ₹85.74/unit · total ₹36,009Star
  • Profit ₹90.37/unit · total ₹46,086Star
  • Profit ₹60.00/unit · total ₹8,999Dog
  • Profit ₹59.16/unit · total ₹7,099Dog
  • Profit ₹28.36/unit · total ₹2,552Dog
  • Profit ₹18.68/unit · total ₹18,302Plow Horse
  • Profit ₹112.59/unit · total ₹9,570Puzzle
  • Profit ₹35.15/unit · total ₹9,139Dog
  • Profit ₹61.26/unit · total ₹18,991Dog

CSV columns: Dish Name, Selling Price, Dish Cost, Labour, Packaging Cost, Units Sold. Export first to get a ready template.

Total profit

₹2.17L

₹2,16,537

Total units sold

3,565

Average profit / unit

₹64.47

Simple average across dishes

Average units sold

356.5

Simple average across dishes

Visual analysis

Menu-engineering matrix

Each dot is a dish. Bigger dots earn more in total. Dashed lines mark the average profit per unit and the average units sold.

Puzzles · 1

High profit · Less popular

  • Tandoori Platter

Stars · 3

High profit · Popular

  • Chicken Biryani
  • Paneer Butter Masala
  • Dal Makhani

Dogs · 5

Low profit · Less popular

  • Veg Hakka Noodles
  • Mutton Rogan Josh
  • Masala Papad
  • Gulab Jamun (2 pc)
  • Chicken 65

Plow Horses · 1

Low profit · Popular

  • Butter Naan

What to do next

  • Chicken Biryani earns the most

    ₹59,789 profit from 640 units sold. Keep it visible and consistent.

  • Promote Tandoori Platter

    Promote it: better photo, clearer description, top-of-menu placement or a combo.

  • Reprice Butter Naan

    Raise the price slightly or cut cost without changing what customers love.

    A ₹10 increase could add about ₹5,777 if units sold hold

  • Review Veg Hakka Noodles, Mutton Rogan Josh, Masala Papad

    Rework it, bundle it, or remove it to simplify the kitchen.

Estimates based on the numbers you entered. Not a guarantee of results.

Formula

How the numbers are calculated

Profit per unit
Payout − (Dish cost + Labour + Packaging cost), using the Online Payout formula
Total profit
Profit per unit × Units sold
Average profit
Simple average of profit per unit across dishes
Average popularity
Simple average of units sold across dishes
Star / Plow Horse / Puzzle / Dog
Profit ≥ average and units ≥ average → Star; profit < average, units ≥ average → Plow Horse; profit ≥ average, units < average → Puzzle; otherwise Dog

Learn

Understanding menu engineering

What is this?

A way to sort every dish by how well it sells and how much it earns per unit after platform deductions.

How it works

Each dish runs through the same payout calculation as the Online Payout calculator. Its profit per unit is compared with the average across the menu, and its units sold with the average units sold.

Why it matters

It shows which dishes deserve the best spots on your menu and in your ads, and which ones only keep the kitchen busy.

Worked example

A biryani selling 640 units with profit per unit above the menu average is a Star. A tandoori platter with high profit per unit but only 85 units sold is a Puzzle to promote.

Common mistakes

  • Judging dishes by food cost % instead of rupee profit per unit.
  • Leaving out labour and packaging cost.
  • Analysing too short a period; use a full month.

Ways to improve

  • Put Stars and Puzzles at the top of the menu with the best photos.
  • Reprice Plow Horses in small steps.
  • Retire or rework Dogs that complicate prep.

Reference ranges are indicative, drawn from common industry practice. The right numbers for your outlet depend on format, city, cuisine and pricing.

Frequently asked questions

What CSV format does the import accept?

Columns with headers: Dish Name, Selling Price, Dish Cost, Labour, Packaging Cost, Units Sold. Export a file first to get the template. Older files with a single cost column still import.

Why are commission, discount and ads entered only once?

They're usually the same for every dish on a platform, so every dish uses the same rates in the payout calculation.

How many dishes can I analyse?

Up to 500. For best results, analyse one menu section, such as mains, at a time.

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