The 2×2
Plot every dish on two axes. Popularity (units sold) on the X axis. Contribution margin per dish (price − food cost) on the Y axis. The grid splits at the median for each axis.
| Low margin | High margin | |
|---|---|---|
| High popularity | Plow Horses | Stars |
| Low popularity | Dogs | Puzzles |
What to do with each quadrant
Stars (high popularity, high margin)
These pay your rent. Hold the price. Tighten portion control. Place at top of menu and at top of aggregator listings. Photograph well. Train staff to recommend them.
Plow Horses (high popularity, low margin)
Frequently ordered but barely profitable. Common Indian-restaurant culprits: dal makhani, butter chicken (when paneer/butter spike), vegetarian thali. Three plays: (1) raise price by ₹15-30; (2) re-engineer the recipe (cheaper paneer source, smaller butter portion); (3) bundle with a high-margin Star (drink, dessert, side).
Puzzles (low popularity, high margin)
Profitable when ordered, but no one orders them. Three plays: (1) rename + re-photograph (often the dish is fine, the description isn't); (2) move to a more visible menu position; (3) offer as a server-recommended special. If 4 weeks of effort doesn't move it, it's a Dog.
Dogs (low popularity, low margin)
Cut. Most Indian-restaurant menus carry 30-40% Dogs that confuse customers and tie up kitchen attention. Cut bottom 10 dishes immediately; you will not lose revenue.
Worked example: 60-cover casual-dining (last 30 days)
| Dish | Sold | Price ₹ | Food cost ₹ | CM ₹ | Quadrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butter chicken | 612 | 385 | 138 | 247 | Plow Horse |
| Paneer tikka | 428 | 320 | 92 | 228 | Star |
| Dal makhani | 512 | 265 | 78 | 187 | Plow Horse |
| Hyderabadi biryani | 385 | 395 | 112 | 283 | Star |
| Achari mushroom | 42 | 295 | 76 | 219 | Puzzle |
| Lamb shank rogan | 28 | 595 | 175 | 420 | Puzzle |
| Veg manchurian | 98 | 245 | 85 | 160 | Dog |
| Gobi 65 | 62 | 215 | 72 | 143 | Dog |
Action: hold price on butter chicken (cull a slice of butter from the recipe to lift CM by ₹14); rename ‘Achari Mushroom’ to ‘Pickled Wild Mushroom Fry’ + reshoot photo; cut Veg Manchurian and Gobi 65; replace with one Indo-Chinese signature.
How often to run it
Monthly. 30-day window is enough signal for an established restaurant; 21-day is enough for a busy launch. The first three runs reset the menu. After that, 1-2 dishes change per month.