In partnership with

Fellow Foodies!

Happy Sunday, and I hope you had a great week and relaxing Thanksgiving.

If there’s one thing we know about menus, it’s this:

A beautiful menu that loses you money… is just a pretty problem.

This week, we're digging into AI prompts that can help you run a smarter, more profitable menu - from pricing and profit to LTOs and seasonal launches.

We’re starting where the numbers meet the napkins: Menu Engineering.

Let’s get into it 👇

Menu Engineering & Optimization Prompts

These prompts are built for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini - any AI assistant you like. Just copy, paste, and fill in the blanks.

Menu Pricing Analysis Prompt

"Optimize the menu for maximum profit using these inputs:
• Top-selling items: [list your best sellers]
• Underperforming items: [list low performers]
• Cost increases: [list ingredients + % increases]
• Current average check: $[amount]
For each item, recommend pricing, and whether to promote, discontinue, or keep based on profit and popularity."

🧠 Pro tip: Add actual ingredient costs to get even sharper recommendations.

Seasonal Menu Development Prompt

"Create seasonal dishes for [Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring] with these inputs:
• Restaurant type: [fast casual, upscale, etc.]
• Top 3 current dishes: [list]
• Local/seasonal ingredients: [list]
• Target price range: $[low] – $[high]
Provide name, description, and suggested price for 5 items."

🧠 Pro tip: Tell it what type of guests you're trying to attract (e.g. “health-conscious lunch crowd”).

Limited-Time Offer Strategy Prompt

"Design 3 limited-time offers using these ingredients I want to move: [list]
Target margin: [e.g., 60%]
Duration: [number of days]
Each concept should include:
• Offer name
• Description
• Price
• Key ingredients used
• Estimated profit margin
• 1-line marketing pitch"

🧠 Pro tip: Run these ideas by your FOH team — they’ll tell you what sells before the guests do.

Start learning AI in 2025

Everyone talks about AI, but no one has the time to learn it. So, we found the easiest way to learn AI in as little time as possible: The Rundown AI.

It's a free AI newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest AI news, and teaches you how to apply it in just 5 minutes a day.

Plus, complete the quiz after signing up and they’ll recommend the best AI tools, guides, and courses – tailored to your needs.

Sign up to start learning.

Upsell Combos Prompt

"Suggest high-margin add-ons for our top 5 menu items. Format results like this:
• Main Item: [e.g., Cheeseburger]
• Suggested Add-on: [e.g., Bacon]
• Why it works: [e.g., 72% of similar guests add bacon]
• Suggested price increase: $[amount]"

🧠 Pro tip: You can link this directly to your online ordering upsells, too.

Photo vs. Text A/B Testing Prompt

"Which of these dishes would benefit most from having a high-quality photo on the menu?
Here’s our menu list: [paste in items]
Suggest 3 items where a photo could increase conversions, and explain why."

🧠 Pro tip: Great for QR code or kiosk menus where scroll fatigue kills ordering.

Bottom Line

You already know your menu is your moneymaker - and these AI prompts are your silent sous chef, pricing strategist, and upsell machine all in one.

Use them weekly, test often, and watch that average check rise.

If you want help setting this up inside your tech stack, or you just want to see how this works for your exact menu…

Next week, we tackle: Staff Management & Labor 👀

Until then, keep serving smart.

🧠 If you enjoyed this week’s deep dive, forward it to someone in your restaurant who wants to fully grasp AI. They’ll thank you later.

Your slightly self-deprecating, definitely human narrators,
Anicia & Shane