15 Reasons Why a Limited Menu Leads to Restaurant Success

Finding the winning formula for restaurant success in today’s hospitality industry is a constant pursuit. One approach that has gained traction in recent years is the concept of a limited menu. 

According to a study conducted by the Harvard Business School, smaller menus are simply better than larger menus. There are many reasons why that is the case, and we will delve into 15 of them in this article.

Here is a brief summary of all the reasons that only a few menu items are enough to create a successful restaurant menu: 

• Streamlines operations
• Contributes to cost savings
• Improves quality control
• Enables dynamic pricing strategies
• Faster service
• Create a sense of exclusivity 
• Improves consistency
• Contributes to a clear brand identity
• Improves business during off-peak hours
• Enables easier staff training
• Enables higher pricing for special meals
• Makes the menu more flexible
• Simplifies marketing efforts
• Helps with inventory management
• Eliminates decisional fatigue

Top 15 reasons why you need a limited menu 

1. Simplify operations in the kitchen

Having a bustling kitchen where chefs constantly juggle many different dishes from an extensive menu can get overwhelming. But a limited menu dials down the chaos and allows chefs to concentrate on perfecting the offered dishes.

Streamlined operations also contribute to smoother workflow between the kitchen and the rest of the staff. Without the burden of an extensive menu, everyone can better synchronize their efforts, which translates into easier preparation and delivery of orders.

McDonald’s transitioned to a limited menu because it simplifies operations for their restaurant crew, according to CNN Business. “This decision helped simplify operations for our restaurant crew while also improving our customers’ experience,” the fast food company said in a recent statement. 

2. Save costs on ingredients

Think of a limited menu as a culinary budgeting strategy: narrowing down entire menu options helps optimize restaurant food costs, but also overall inventory costs. With fewer ingredients to stock, restaurants can better determine their demand. 

Brad Haley, IHOP’s chief marketing officer, told CNN Business, a reduced menu also makes it simpler to teach new employees. Additionally, it implies less waste for franchise owners who could otherwise discard any leftover ingredients they buy for menu items that are less popular. 

By focusing on specific ingredients, restaurant businesses can establish stronger relationships with suppliers and negotiate better prices. 

Pro tip: Stick to the main ingredients that you can use over in multiple dishes, that way that ingredient is always being used and will be fresh.

A limited menu also enables restaurants to optimize their menu engineering. They can focus on dishes that offer higher profit margins, and price items strategically to maximize revenue.

3. Improve the overall quality of your dishes

With such tough competition within the restaurant industry, guests expect the best possible quality when stepping into a dining establishment. A limited menu can help showcase exceptional quality control that sets a restaurant apart.

With fewer dishes to manage, your kitchen staff can devote more time and energy to perfecting recipes. It helps them maintain a consistent quality by becoming thoroughly familiar with every nuance in the smaller selection of dishes on offer.

Restaurants can also source the highest-quality ingredients by focusing on a smaller range of culinary delights, guaranteeing that each dish has the finest components.

“Smaller menus mean more focus,” says chef Marcus Samuelsson.

4. Offer dynamic pricing

Dynamic pricing means considering customer preferences, peak hours, and seasonal variations to determine the optimal pricing for each dish and create profitable menu items. 

© AB Crepes

During off-peak hours, dynamic pricing is a magnet for customers. Restaurants can offer lower prices on select items, drawing in diners looking for a great meal at a value. 

Conversely, during peak hours or holidays, restaurants can use dynamic pricing to set premium prices for high-demand items and special menu offerings and increase their profit margins as a result. 

5. Ensure faster service

The secret to faster service lies in the efficiency of having a smaller selection of dishes to prepare if you’re working in the kitchen. Similarly, servers and front-of-house operators have fewer options to explain and recommend.

This way, staff can spend less time working on and deciphering a complex menu, and more time attending to customers’ needs. From order taking to food preparation and table turnover, every step becomes more efficient, which enhances the overall dining experience. 

6. Create a sense of exclusivity

A limited menu helps chefs invest their attention and expertise into perfecting each of the few dishes offered by the restaurant. This gives the feeling of having a chef personally handcraft a culinary masterpiece, giving the dining experience a touch of exclusivity.

Smaller menus also lend themselves to special occasions and seasonal offerings. Restaurants can introduce prix fixe menus or chef’s tasting menus that showcase their unique culinary prowess and creativity.

It is important to note that most Michelin-star restaurants have a limited menu. For example, in 2023 a  London- based restaurant, “Hotel Cafe Royal” was awarded 2 Michelin stars less than 6 months after their opening. Their menu is a great example of creating a sense of exclusivity with the 3 choices per course.

7. Improve dish consistency

When you find a dish you love, you want to experience that same food quality, flavor, and satisfaction each time you order it again. Limited menus enable restaurants to offer that level of consistency.

“People like consistency. Whether it's a store or a restaurant, they want to come in and see what you are famous for,” says American businessman and investor, Mickey Drexler.

A limited menu can be viewed as a chef’s carefully curated repertoire. Every visit to the restaurant is a delightful encore, and customers can trust that their favorite dishes will be consistently delicious on each repeat visit.

8. Create a clear brand identity

Sticking to a specific cuisine or style lets restaurants showcase their expertise and create a unique experience that resonates with their target audience. 

This clear brand identity is reinforced through every aspect of the dining experience, from the restaurant menu offerings to the ambiance and service. The carefully selected dishes and flavors become a great marketing strategy — a restaurant can use them to convey its brand story and value to more customers.

9. Improve business during off-peak hours

Off-peak hours are those in-between times when people are not hungry enough for a big meal. During those quieter moments, the customers that you do attract will appreciate being able to order something simple, especially if they’re there for a quick catchup with friends or a meeting.

A small menu caters precisely to this type of crowd. Guests will choose your establishment knowing they will be served quickly and that they won’t have to choose an elaborate order just for a place to sit. 

If you aren’t sure about your restaurant's off-peak hours, table management software can help you with a detailed analysis of your restaurant business and guest profiles.

10. Train staff easily

Training a team to deliver exceptional service and execute complex menu items can be a daunting task. A limited menu can help with that, too. 

The simplicity and clarity of a limited menu facilitate quicker and more thorough training. New hires can quickly grasp the intricacies of a smaller menu and other elements from your training manual, such as the ingredients and plating techniques. This reduces the learning curve and accelerates the staff’s ability to provide exceptional service.

“Having smaller menus also makes it more streamlined to serve consistent dishes during these times – labor shortages”, says Kerem Bozer, owner of Tacos Güey, New York City

11. Charge more for special meals

© Osteria Stellina

When a restaurant curates a limited menu (like the example above from Osteria Stellina), it allows them to introduce exclusive dishes. Special meals are naturally priced higher, and restaurants can justify this through the added value and unique elements they offer. 

Limited menu restaurants can use menu makers to add special meals for various occasions, such as holidays, anniversaries, or chef’s tasting events. These create memorable and indulgent experiences that enable restaurants to charge premium prices for their special dishes. 

12. Experiment with the menu

A limited menu enables restaurants to easily introduce new items or make menu changes at any time. Chefs can add new dishes or original culinary creations without overwhelming the kitchen or confusing the staff. 

Smaller menus are an opportunity to surprise customers with exciting flavor combinations and imaginative presentations. These experiments can be well-controlled, and easily added to a restaurant’s smaller repertoire of dishes.

13. Maximize marketing efforts

Digital marketing is a crucial aspect of any successful restaurant, but it can be a complex and time-consuming endeavor. Nearly  80% of consumers expect brands and companies that have a social media presence to interact with their customers in meaningful ways, according to Business2Community.

A limited menu allows for a focused and clear marketing message, instead of overwhelming potential customers with an extensive list of options.

Software like, Eat App can provide unique insights into your customer database and help you run highly targeted campaigns promoting your unique menu selection to the right target audience.

14. Manage inventory efficiently

When focusing on a smaller set of items, restaurants can better forecast their ingredient needs, reducing the risk of overstocking or understocking. This helps prevent food waste, contributes to restaurant sustainability, and ensures that ingredients are used at their peak freshness, resulting in higher-quality dishes.

Efficient inventory management allows for better expense control. A TouchBistro study found that 40% of restaurant owners have trouble managing their inventories. Fortunately, eateries with limited menus require fewer ingredient purchases. Additionally, they can plan and manage inventory more readily with fewer ingredients. 

15. Help guests with decisional fatigue

A smaller menu with fewer choices allows restaurant guests to pick what they want to eat more quickly and eliminates decision fatigue. When the menu is too extensive, visitors will ultimately feel pressured to decide on an option that may not be the ideal pick or what they desired in the first place. As a result, they can leave your restaurant feeling dissatisfied.

Research has shown that people prefer to have fewer options because it makes the decision process more manageable. “ Having a limited and more manageable set of choices may be more intrinsically motivating than having an overly extensive set of choices”, conclude Sheena S. Iyengar and Mark R. Lepper after their experiment. 

A menu design with fewer menu items creates this kind of simplicity and helps reduce decision fatigue.

Conclusion

The restaurant concept of limited menus offers a host of advantages that enhance the dining experience, improve profitability, and set the stage for culinary excellence. And if you also sign up for Eat App’s restaurant management platform, you can begin to unlock the recipe for success in an ever-evolving culinary landscape.