How to Start

Follow these steps to set up your Menu Engine for success

Already have your prices and costs?

If you already have an established inventory, cost, and selling price structure and want to jump straight to menu analysis, skip the detailed setup and go directly to Matrix Analysis Direct.

1

Print Standard Recipe Forms

Print standard recipe forms from the Download Forms section and distribute to all managers for completion.

2

Create Your Suppliers

Add all your suppliers with their contact details, delivery schedules, and categories. Menu Engine automatically generates your weekly order sheets as you create suppliers, making ordering seamless.

3

Enter Your Inventory Items

Add all ingredients to your inventory with their costs, units, and supplier associations.

4

Create Base Recipes

Create base recipes from the submitted standard recipes from your managers. These are foundational recipes used across multiple dishes.

5

Perform Yield Calculations

Use the Yield Calculator for each inventory ingredient as needed to account for trim waste and calculate actual costs. Print the Yield Calculation Sheet from Download Forms for manual tracking.

6

Build Your Menu Items

Build your menu items using your inventory ingredients and base recipes. Set prices and track sales.

Critical: Track Your Wastage

Accurate wastage tracking is essential for true cost analysis and profitability. This includes all food loss:

  • • Returned food items from customers (complaints, mistakes)
  • • Complimentary items given by servers
  • • Staff meals and employee consumption
  • • Spoilage, trim waste, and preparation losses
  • • Overproduction and expired ingredients

Without tracking these costs, your profit margins will be inaccurate and you'll miss thousands in losses. Use our wastage tracking form to maintain daily records.

You're Ready!

Once you've completed these steps, head to the Dashboard to see your menu performance and Matrix Analysis to optimize your menu.

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