Strategy
The Psychology of Menu Design: Engineering More Profit
Hospitality Lead March 05, 2026
The Art of Menu Engineering
A menu is more than a list of prices—it's a sales tool. Menu engineering is the study of how to design a menu to influence guest choices and drive higher profit margins.
Visual Anchoring
On a digital screen, the eye is drawn to specific areas. By placing your highest-margin items in "prime real estate" (usually the top right or center), you can significantly increase their order frequency without changing or discounting them.
Descriptive Power
Using sensory words like 'velvety,' 'hand-crafted,' or 'locally sourced' can increase sales of a dish by up to 27%. In a digital menu, you have the space to tell these stories through both text and stunning high-resolution photography.