Menu Engineering Analysis

The Copper Kettle April 1 – 15, 2026 FNB Playbook
Overall Food Cost
34.2%
Target: 28 – 32%
Above Target
Menu Items Analyzed
12
Full dinner menu
Revenue Risk Identified
$4,180/mo
Margin erosion from mispriced items
Icon Items
3 of 12
High profit + high volume — protect these
Labor Impact
$2,340/mo
Direct labor cost across menu

Item-Level Analysis

Menu Item
Portion
Menu Price
Plate Cost
Labor Cost
True Cost
Food Cost %
True Margin
Wkly Vol
Contribution $
Classification
Classic Smash Burger
8oz patty
$15.00
$6.45
$2.10
$8.55
43.0%
$6.45
42
$8.55
86
Grilled Salmon
6oz fillet
$26.00
$8.90
$3.50
$12.40
34.2%
$13.60
18
$17.10
Sleeper
Caesar Salad
10oz
$13.00
$3.20
$1.40
$4.60
24.6%
$8.40
35
$9.80
Icons
Fish & Chips
8oz cod
$17.00
$5.80
$2.30
$8.10
34.1%
$8.90
28
$11.20
Icons
Ribeye Steak
14oz
$34.00
$14.50
$3.80
$18.30
42.6%
$15.70
12
$19.50
Sleeper
Chicken Parm
8oz breast
$16.00
$4.90
$2.00
$6.90
30.6%
$9.10
38
$11.10
Icons
Lobster Roll
5oz meat
$28.00
$13.20
$4.20
$17.40
47.1%
$10.60
22
$14.80
86
Mac & Cheese
12oz
$12.00
$2.80
$1.10
$3.90
23.3%
$8.10
45
$9.20
Staple
Wings (12pc)
24oz
$15.00
$6.10
$1.80
$7.90
40.7%
$7.10
30
$8.90
86
Veggie Wrap
10oz
$13.00
$3.40
$1.20
$4.60
26.2%
$8.40
15
$9.60
Staple
Clam Chowder
10oz cup
$9.00
$2.50
$1.50
$4.00
27.8%
$5.00
50
$6.50
Staple
NY Strip
12oz
$30.00
$12.80
$3.60
$16.40
42.7%
$13.60
10
$17.20
Sleeper

Menu Engineering Matrix

Margin vs. Volume 4 Quadrants
Contribution Margin ($)
Weekly Volume (Popularity)
Sleepers
Icons
86
Staples
myrecipecard.kitchen Menu Engineering Matrix

Recommendations

86 3 Items

86 It or Fix It

Re-cost and reprice Smash Burger, Lobster Roll, and Wings. These 3 items at current volume = $2,890/month in margin erosion.

myrecipecard.kitchen Kill it →
Sleepers 2 Items

Sleepers — Push It

Move Ribeye and Salmon to more prominent menu position. High margin but low volume = untapped profit. Train servers to push.

myrecipecard.kitchen Push it →
Icons 3 Items

Icons — Don’t Touch

Caesar Salad, Fish & Chips, and Chicken Parm are Icons. Protect these recipes — freeze portions, lock suppliers.

myrecipecard.kitchen Protect it →
Staples 3 Items

Staples — Fix It

Mac & Cheese, Veggie Wrap, and Clam Chowder sell well but margins are thin. Shave portions, find cheaper subs, or bump prices $1–2.

myrecipecard.kitchen Fix it →