Your Menu Isn’t Too Small — Your Execution Is Too Big
Here’s a secret operators don’t hear enough:
Your menu probably isn’t too small — your execution is too big.
Meaning:
You’re trying to do too much with too little.
Too many SKUs.
Too many prep items.
Too many specialty ingredients.
Too many dishes that only one cook knows how to make.
And when the execution demands exceed the team’s capacity, everything falls apart:
ticket times slow down
food quality drops
waste increases
burnout spreads
consistency disappears
Small Menus Win — If They’re Built Right
Take In-N-Out.
Six items.
Total mastery.
Speed.
Consistency.
Guest trust.
You don’t need 40 menu items to impress people.
You need 12–18 items executed extremely well.
Ask Yourself:
Does this item fit our labor model?
Can every cook execute this consistently?
Does this item share ingredients with at least 2–3 other dishes?
Does this dish belong on this menu in this operation?
Does it slow us down more than it adds value?
If the answer is “no,” the item is costing you more than it’s giving you.
Final Thought
A small menu doesn’t limit creativity.
A smart menu protects execution.
