The Top 3 Menu Mistakes That Could Be Costing Your Café or Restaurant Money

Top Menu Mistakes!!

Your menu is more than just a list of dishes — it’s your #1 sales tool. But too often, restaurant and café owners unknowingly make simple mistakes that hurt their profits, confuse customers, or slow down their service.

If your venue is struggling to increase average spend or feels like it's falling behind competitors, your menu might be to blame.

Here are the top 3 menu mistakes I see again and again — and what to do instead.

1. Overloading the Menu with Too Many Options

The Mistake:Trying to cater to everyone by cramming in every dish under the sun — breakfast, lunch, pasta, pizza, burgers, vegan, keto, smoothies, dessert, you name it.

Why It Hurts:

• Overwhelms customers (decision fatigue = slower ordering)

• Increases food waste and kitchen complexity

• Makes your brand feel unfocused

What to Do Instead:

✅ Curate your menu based on your target audience and top sellers

✅ Focus on what you do best — fewer dishes, done well

✅ Use limited-time specials to test new ideas without cluttering the core menu

2. Poor Menu Layout and Pricing Psychology

The Mistake:Slapping prices on the right side in a straight column (aka “price shopping central”), using small or inconsistent fonts, and missing visual hierarchy.

Why It Hurts:

• Encourages customers to order the cheapest item

• Misses opportunities to upsell

• Feels DIY or unprofessional

What to Do Instead:

✅ Use menu engineering — highlight high-margin items with boxes or icons

✅ Avoid price columns; tuck prices right next to descriptions

✅ Use subtle formatting (bold, spacing, categories) to guide the eye

3. No Dietary Labels or Allergen Info

The Mistake:Leaving out dietary info because it feels like “extra work,” or assuming customers will ask.

Why It Hurts:

• Excludes customers with dietary needs (and their groups!)

• Slows down staff who have to answer the same questions repeatedly

• Puts you at risk of safety concerns and poor reviews

What to Do Instead:

✅ Clearly mark vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, etc. with symbols

✅ Provide allergen disclaimers at the bottom or via QR code

✅ Train your staff to speak confidently about menu ingredients

✨ Need Help Fixing Your Menu?

Your menu should be a sales machine — not a stress point.

If you’re unsure where to start or just want a second pair of expert eyes, I offer menu consultations for cafés and restaurants, including:

✔️ Menu layout redesign

✔️ Cost-effective item planning

✔️ Dietary & food safety compliance

✔️ Staff-friendly formatting

➡️ Click here to book a free 15-minute consultation(or just DM me the word “MENU” on Instagram/Facebook and I’ll get in touch)

🧠 Bonus Tip:

Menus should evolve with your business. A seasonal refresh or mini-audit every 6 months keeps things sharp, profitable, and customer-friendly.