Pricing Strategy — Raise Prices Without Killing Demand

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How to use

  1. Classify items (winners/losers) using your menu engineering worksheet.
  2. Choose 3–5 pricing moves (not 30).
  3. Test, monitor sales mix, and adjust.
  4. Lock in the new pricing and train staff on upsells.

What you’ll need

Item Owner Ready
Item sales report (last 4–8 weeks)
Recipe cost for top 30 items
Competitor reference prices (top 10 comparables)

2–3 week pricing plan (premium)

Week Goal What to do Owner Done
Week 1 Engineer the menu Calculate contribution margin; classify items; decide what to protect vs adjust
Week 2 Set price moves Apply price increases to protected items; redesign menu placement; set add-on/upsell prompts
Week 3 Monitor + tweak Track mix shifts; watch complaints; adjust 1–2 items; train staff scripts

Price change worksheet (premium)

Item Old price New price Cost Margin before Margin after Expected risk

Rule: Don’t raise prices on your weakest items first. Protect your “stars” and remove/repair the “dogs.”