Every restaurant business spends countless hours setting its menu prices. Of course, every company tackles this process in a different manner. An independent restaurant won’t utilize the same pricing structure as a global fine dining chain. Pricing is a sensitive subject for many businesses today. Careful considerations must be made while setting prices in the food industry. At present, countless factors affect these prices.
So, how are restaurant menu prices set?
Considering All Of The Variables
For starters, prices are affected by dozens upon dozens of factors. This is true whether a restaurant is choosing initial prices or modifying existing prices. Ingredient and labor costs loom over the entire pricing structure more than anything else. Before calculating said costs, a restaurant must have its menu set in stone and know what ingredients are necessary.
It’s vital to know how much something costs to make from the ingredients to the preparation and cooking. In that vein, menu items with higher food or labor costs must be priced higher than the rest of the menu. A restaurant cannot afford to make major mistakes during this process, and losing money on a given menu item usually isn’t an option, except for fast food businesses.
Then a given business must consider other factors before finalizing prices. Unfortunately, food and labor costs aren’t the only things to keep in mind. Every expense for the business must be calculated into the equation. Keeping the lights on and marketing a business all require money. Therefore, an owner needs to price those things into the menu in some capacity.
Turning A Profit
Regardless of restaurant type, an owner needs to make a profit on a majority of menu items. He or she must accurately gauge which items will be popular and how much everything is worth. Nobody sells their entire menu at cost because then a profit margin is non-existent. To make an overall profit, certain strategic moves are necessary on the part of the owner.
The majority of the menu must be profitable on a per-item basis. However, certain items can be sold at or under cost in order to entice consumers in. Perhaps a well-known appetizer or dessert is sold for a loss at a particular restaurant on purpose. Such an item could draw in diners, and then they’re more likely to purchase other menu items that result in an overall profit.
A Final Consideration
For obvious reasons, restaurants cannot simply price everything on the menu at a hefty profit. The final consideration that must be made involves consumers. Restaurant owners cannot afford to misjudge pricing based on what consumers are willing to pay. Setting the prices too high will keep customers away from that establishment, and then revenue won’t come in each day.
Few business endeavors are more challenging than owning a restaurant. Fast food, fast casual, and fine dining locations grapple with the pricing conundrum on a regular basis. In reality, dozens of factors play into how menu items are priced, and everyone treats this situation in a different manner. Large corporations spend thousands of hours on this process.
On the other hand, smaller restaurants spend considerably less time setting prices. The simple fact remains that pricing shouldn’t be a guessing game. Every factor requires consideration during the process, and pricing decisions require ample evidence they’re a smart decision.