Menu Pricing & Strategies
Set prices and pricing strategies.
Overview
Restaurant Revolution supports:
- Base Pricing: Standard item prices
- Time-Based Pricing: Happy hour, lunch specials
- Location Pricing: Different prices per location
- Dynamic Pricing: Demand-based adjustments
- Channel Pricing: Online vs dine-in
Base Pricing
Setting Item Prices
- Edit menu item
- Enter Base Price
- This is the default price everywhere
Price Display
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Show Price | Display to customers |
| Hide Price | Market price items |
| Starting At | Variable price items |
Tax Configuration
| Tax Option | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Taxable | Most food items |
| Non-Taxable | Where law exempts |
| Included | Tax in displayed price |
| Per-Item | Different rates per item |
Pricing Tiers
Creating a Pricing Tier
- Go to Menu > Pricing > Tiers
- Click + Add Tier
- Configure:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Name | "Happy Hour" |
| Start Time | 4:00 PM |
| End Time | 7:00 PM |
| Days | Mon-Fri |
| Discount Type | % off or Fixed price |
Happy Hour Example
Happy Hour Pricing (4-7 PM, Mon-Fri)
├── Appetizers: 50% off
├── Draft Beer: $5 flat
├── House Wine: $6 flat
├── Well Cocktails: $7 flat
└── Bar snacks: 30% off
Lunch Specials Example
Lunch Specials (11 AM - 3 PM, Mon-Fri)
├── All sandwiches: -$2
├── Add soup: +$3 (normally $5)
├── Add salad: +$4 (normally $6)
└── Combo meals: Special pricing
Activating/Deactivating
- Automatic: Based on schedule
- Manual: Override via voice/dashboard
- Voice: "Hey Maximus, turn on happy hour"
Location-Based Pricing
Why Different Prices?
- Different rent costs
- Local market rates
- Competition varies
- Cost of goods differs
Setting Location Overrides
- Go to Menu > Pricing > Locations
- Select location
- Set price overrides:
Classic Burger
├── Base Price: $14.99
├── Downtown: $16.99 (+$2.00)
├── Airport: $18.99 (+$4.00)
├── Suburb: $14.99 (base)
└── Food Court: $12.99 (-$2.00)
Bulk Location Pricing
Apply percentage adjustments:
| Location | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Downtown | +15% |
| Airport | +25% |
| Food Court | -10% |
Channel-Based Pricing
Different Prices by Channel
| Channel | Pricing Strategy |
|---|---|
| Dine-In | Base price |
| Online Pickup | Base price |
| Delivery | +10-15% (offset fees) |
| Third-Party | +20-30% (offset commission) |
| Kiosk | Base or rounded |
Setting Channel Prices
- Edit menu item
- Go to Channel Pricing
- Enable overrides
- Set per-channel prices
Classic Burger
├── Dine-In: $14.99
├── Online Pickup: $14.99
├── Our Delivery: $16.49 (+10%)
├── DoorDash: $17.99 (+20%)
└── UberEats: $17.99 (+20%)
Dynamic Pricing
What is Smart Pricing?
An intelligent pricing engine that recommends adjustments based on:
- Demand Elasticity (Learned from history)
- Local Weather (Rain/Snow impact)
- Competitor Pricing (Market position)
- Inventory Levels (Stock-based logic)
The system uses a Reinforcement Learning (DQN) model to learn the optimal price points that maximize revenue without sacrificing customer satisfaction.
Setting Up Dynamic Pricing
- Go to Menu > Pricing > Dynamic
- Enable for specific items
- Set guardrails:
| Guardrail | Description |
|---|---|
| Min Price | Floor price (never sell below) |
| Max Price | Ceiling price (never sell above) |
| Max Daily Change | Cap on volatility (e.g., +/- 10%) |
Pricing Factors
The engine analyzes these signals in real-time:
| Signal | Impact |
|---|---|
| Weather | Rain/Snow may lower prices to attract traffic |
| Peak Hours | Standard or premium pricing during rush |
| Competitors | Alerts if you are significantly above market |
| Inventory | Lower prices to move perishable overstock |
Pricing Scenarios
High Demand (Friday Night):
Ribeye Steak
├── Base: $42.00
├── Peak Factor: High Demand
├── Adjustment: +$2.00 (+4.8%)
└── Final: $44.00
Inventory Clearance:
Fresh Catch (3 days old)
├── Base: $28.00
├── Stock Factor: Low Shelf Life
├── Adjustment: -$4.00 (-14%)
└── Final: $24.00
Promotions & Discounts
Creating Promotions
- Go to Marketing > Promotions
- Click + Add Promotion
- Configure:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | "Summer Special" |
| Type | % off, $ off, BOGO, etc. |
| Items | Which items apply |
| Dates | Start/end dates |
| Conditions | Min order, specific days |
Promotion Types
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Percentage Off | 20% off appetizers |
| Dollar Off | $5 off orders over $30 |
| BOGO | Buy one get one free |
| Bundle | Combo pricing |
| Free Item | Free dessert with entree |
Promo Codes
Create codes for customers:
SUMMER20
├── 20% off entire order
├── Valid: June 1 - Aug 31
├── Min order: $25
├── Max discount: $15
└── Online only
Price Rounding
Rounding Strategies
| Strategy | Example |
|---|---|
| Charm Pricing | $14.99, $9.95 |
| Round Numbers | $15.00, $10.00 |
| No Cents | $15, $10 |
Setting Rounding Rules
- Go to Settings > Pricing
- Select rounding method
- Apply to new/existing items
Tax Configuration
Setting Tax Rates
- Go to Settings > Tax
- Configure rates:
| Tax Type | Rate | Items |
|---|---|---|
| Food | 8.25% | Most items |
| Beverage | 8.25% | Non-alcohol |
| Alcohol | 10.25% | Beer, wine, spirits |
| Exempt | 0% | As applicable |
Tax Inclusive Pricing
Show prices with tax included:
Menu Display: $15.00
├── Item price: $13.86
├── Tax (8.25%): $1.14
└── Customer pays: $15.00
Price Updates
Price Changes Affect All Channels
Price updates propagate immediately to all ordering channels including dine-in, online, kiosks, and third-party platforms. Always verify prices across all channels after making changes.
Bulk Price Changes
Update multiple prices:
- Go to Menu > Bulk Edit
- Select items
- Choose action:
- Increase by %
- Increase by $
- Decrease by %
- Decrease by $
- Set specific price
- Preview and confirm
Scheduled Price Changes
Schedule future prices:
- Edit item
- Click Schedule Change
- Set new price
- Set effective date
- Price updates automatically
Price History
View historical prices:
- Edit item
- Click Price History
- See all changes with dates
Menu Engineering Matrix (BCG Analytics)
The system automatically analyzes menu item performance using the BCG Matrix methodology, classifying items into four categories based on Popularity and Profit Margin.
Quality Classifications
| Category | Definition | Characteristics | Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ Stars | High Profit / High Popularity | Best performers | Maintain: Keep visible, do not change. |
| 🐴 Plow Horses | Low Profit / High Popularity | Volume drivers | Optimize: Increase price slightly or reduce food cost. |
| 🧩 Puzzles | High Profit / Low Popularity | Hidden gems | Promote: Renaming, better photos, or highlighting on menu. |
| 🐕 Dogs | Low Profit / Low Popularity | Underperformers | Remove: Consider removing from menu or completely reworking. |
How It Works
- Data Analysis: The system analyzes the last 30 days of sales data.
- Classification: Items are placed in quadrants:
- Popularity Score: Sales volume relative to the average.
- Profit Margin:
(Price - Cost) / Price.
- Visualization:
- Go to Reports > Menu Analysis.
- View the Scatter Chart to see where items cluster.
- Review specific Recommendations automatically generated for each item.
Voice Commands
| Task | Say |
|---|---|
| Turn on happy hour | "Hey Maximus, turn on happy hour" |
| End happy hour | "Hey Maximus, end happy hour" |
| Change price | "Hey Maximus, change burger to $15" |
| Check price | "Hey Maximus, what's the burger price?" |
Related Guides
- Menu Items - Creating items
- Modifiers - Customizations
- Reports - Performance analysis