3.3 Menu planning and guest behaviour
A menu is not merely a list of dishes; it is a management tool. Research shows that guests spend an average of just 109 seconds reviewing a menu before ordering. During this brief interval, attention is drawn involuntarily to certain “hot spots” (prime areas): the upper-left corner, the upper-right corner an
d the centre of the page. To maximise profitability, the dishes that deliver the highest contribution margin should always be positioned in these areas.