What Is the Menu Matrix?
The Menu Matrix is a visual tool we use to help restaurant operators understand which menu items are profitable — and which ones are dragging them down. By comparing profitability and popularity, you can categorize each item into one of four strategic zones.
🔥 Stars
High popularity, high profitability. These are your signature items — protect them, feature them, and build around them.
🧩 Puzzles
Low popularity, high profitability. Great margins but not selling — try renaming, re-pricing, or re-marketing them.
⚒️ Workhorses
High popularity, low profitability. These are crowd favorites that may be underpriced or costly — optimize or cross-sell.
🐶 Dogs
Low popularity, low profitability. These are dead weight — unless there’s a strategic reason, they should go.
This tool helps you quickly identify where to cut, what to promote, and how to engineer your menu for profit — not just preference.