MENU ANALYSIS - The STAR :)

STAR – High Popular and High Profitable
This is often a restaurant’s signature or prestige item. An item that is unique to the particular operation.

1. Leave the item alone. Don’t mess with a good thing, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”

2. Hide the item on the menu assuming it’s taking up a prime location on the menu. If an item is popular and customers know about it, they will find it no matter where it is. The reason for hiding is to provide an opportunity for some other potential good item to sell by giving it a good space. The idea is kind of similar to network TV where there is a hit show at a prime time slot. The networks sometimes move the show to a different hour and give some other potential shows the previous time slot in order to let them shine.

3. Attempt to sell the item more. Outback Steakhouse and Chili’s promoted the heck out of the classic onion ring appetizer by re-creating them into the “Awesome Blossim” and the “Bloomin Onion”. They advertised them not only with prime space on the menu, but also suggestive selling through service staff and also TV commercials. Why not! These items were stars. They were profitable (about.50 to produce and they sell them for about $7.95) and they were popular.