Free tool
Restaurant Menu Suggestor
Format + cuisine → optimized starter menu with dish roles, section structure, and menu engineering tips. 25-cuisine menu bank adapted for QSR to fine dining.
Format
Veg
Menu focus
Most cafés run a coffee + bakery base. Pick Italian or Continental only if pasta/brunch is a core offer.
Optimization tips
Menu-engineering moves for this format and cuisine.
Menu engineering70/30 rule: ~70% of revenue should come from ~30% of your SKUs. Mark signature and star dishes clearly on the menu.
Menu engineeringAnchor pricing: your highest-priced main should be 1.8–2.5× your median main — it makes mid-tier items feel like value.
Menu engineeringIngredient overlap: design so your top 5 ingredients appear in 60%+ of dishes. Fewer vendors, lower waste.
Menu engineeringSection caps: don't exceed 8–10 items per section at launch. A smaller, consistent menu beats a sprawling one.
Menu engineeringReserve 2–3 menu slots for seasonal/festival swaps — don't rebuild the whole menu every quarter.
Menu engineeringAttach rate: every main should have a natural beverage or dessert upsell. Train staff on one-line upsells.
Format tipBeverages should target 50%+ of revenue — food supports coffee, not the other way around.
Format tipBrunch combos (coffee + pastry + eggs) lift attach rate 25–30%.
Format tipLimit baked SKUs to same-day finish; café waste kills margins faster than restaurants.
Cuisine tipSteak and salmon are weekend anchors — don't run on weekday lunch unless hotel F&B.
Ingredient overlap wins
Shared prep keeps waste and SKU count down.
- Grill station shared across chicken, steak, lamb, salmon
- Cream + butter base in alfredo, mashed potatoes, sauces
- Salad greens prep shared across caesar, club sandwich garnish
- Imported proteins (salmon, lamb) need separate vendor contracts
Equipment essentials
- Char grill / salamander
- Deep fryer
- Banquet hot holding
- Wine storage
Your starter menu
LiveDishes recommended
28
Café · Continental brunch · target 15–30
Veg / non-veg17 / 11
Avg prep time11 min
Food cost band30–38%
Cuisine note
Imported proteins + dairy, FX exposed.
Starters
| Dish | Role | Veg | Price band | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Onion Soup | Profit | Veg | ₹200–340 | 15m |
| Quiche | Profit | Veg | ₹220–380 | 5m |
| Chicken Wings | Attach | Non-veg | ₹250–420 | 12m |
| Caesar Salad | Traffic | Veg | ₹220–380 | 6m |
| Bruschetta | Traffic | Veg | ₹180–300 | 5m |
Mains
| Dish | Role | Veg | Price band | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grilled Chicken Breast | Signature | Non-veg | ₹350–580 | 18m |
| Fish & Chips | Star | Non-veg | ₹380–620 | 15m |
| Pasta Alfredo | Profit | Veg | ₹320–520 | 12m |
| Eggs Benedict | Profit | Non-veg | ₹280–450 | 10m |
| Steak (250g) | Anchor | Non-veg | ₹650–1100 | 20m |
| Grilled Salmon | Anchor | Non-veg | ₹580–950 | 15m |
| Lamb Chops | Anchor | Non-veg | ₹650–1100 | 22m |
| Veg Lasagna | Traffic | Veg | ₹320–520 | 20m |
| Club Sandwich | Traffic | Non-veg | ₹250–420 | 8m |
Sides
| Dish | Role | Veg | Price band | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mashed Potatoes | Attach | Veg | ₹120–220 | 15m |
| Grilled Vegetables | Attach | Veg | ₹150–260 | 12m |
| French Fries | Attach | Veg | ₹120–220 | 6m |
| Coleslaw | Attach | Veg | ₹80–150 | 5m |
Beverages
| Dish | Role | Veg | Price band | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mocktail | Profit | Veg | ₹200–350 | 3m |
| House Wine (Glass) | Anchor | Veg | ₹350–650 | 1m |
| Fresh Juice | Attach | Veg | ₹150–260 | 3m |
Desserts
| Dish | Role | Veg | Price band | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheesecake | Profit | Veg | ₹220–380 | 2m |
| Crème Brûlée | Anchor | Veg | ₹250–420 | 2m |
| Chocolate Brownie | Attach | Veg | ₹180–300 | 2m |
Combos & Thalis
| Dish | Role | Veg | Price band | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Lunch Set | Star | Non-veg | ₹550–900 | 12m |
| Grill Platter | Anchor | Non-veg | ₹900–1500 | 20m |
| Corporate Dinner Set | Anchor | Non-veg | ₹1200–2000 | 18m |
| Soup + Salad + Main | Traffic | Veg | ₹450–750 | 15m |
Café · Continental brunch starter menu
Opening a café with a continental brunch menu? Start with 28 curated dishes adapted for this format — target food cost 30-38%. Coffee bean FX + dairy spikes are the silent killer.
Related: Continental menu pricing · viability score · cost to open
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Common questions
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