How the position of menu items on a one-page menu effects item popularity [abstract]

Abstract

The subject of this research project was to determine if the menu position of an item influences the number of times it is ordered. In this particular study, one-page menus were examined. A new menu was designed where each menu item was rearranged within its category of starters, soups and salads, entrees/pastas, and desserts. Popularity of items ordered from the original menu was compared to popularity of items ordered from the redesigned menu to determine whether or not the position of the menu items makes a difference. A comparison of these two sets of data will be done to see if there is a statistically significant difference in the popularity of menu items based on their position on the menu. Recommendations on how to improve profitability through menu positioning will be made to restaurateurs based on these results.