egg soldiers - 'Beyond the brief'
Ask the Food Experts:
'How do I improve my QSR menu?'
'How do I improve my QSR menu?'
Egg Soldiers Food Consultancy highlights the key focus areas when engineering successful QSR restaurant menus in 2025
QSR Restaurant Menus
Rethinking & Refreshing
Rethinking & Refreshing
Here at Egg Soldiers, we're very used to clients coming to us asking: "How do we improve our menu?"
And, from experience, what they often mean is: "How do we make it work harder?"
They want stronger sales. Tighter ops. Clearer positioning. More impact from fewer SKUs.
Sometimes it’s a refresh. Sometimes it’s a full rethink. But always, it starts with sharper thinking...and that’s where we come in.
Our team of food experts has helped build and evolve dozens of high-performing QSR menus. And while no two briefs are ever the same, with our process always bespoke to the client; the path to a sharper, more effective menu starts with a framework for assessing current offers with a critical, strategic lens.
And for a snapshot of our approach, our award-winning team has outlined five initial focus areas we cover when supporting clients in improving their QSR menus.
And, from experience, what they often mean is: "How do we make it work harder?"
They want stronger sales. Tighter ops. Clearer positioning. More impact from fewer SKUs.
Sometimes it’s a refresh. Sometimes it’s a full rethink. But always, it starts with sharper thinking...and that’s where we come in.
Our team of food experts has helped build and evolve dozens of high-performing QSR menus. And while no two briefs are ever the same, with our process always bespoke to the client; the path to a sharper, more effective menu starts with a framework for assessing current offers with a critical, strategic lens.
And for a snapshot of our approach, our award-winning team has outlined five initial focus areas we cover when supporting clients in improving their QSR menus.
1
Define the Role of Your Menu
A common issue we come across with QSR brands is that menus try to do too much, serve too many people, but actually say too little.
When that happens, clarity is out, and so is widespread customer confidence.
To fix this, you first have to ask: What is our menu trying to do?
Is it here to push volume through a few hero formats? Should it spotlight sheer variety, drive delivery sales, or maximise dwell-time dining?
Once a menu’s purpose is clear, everything from layout and dish naming to price anchoring starts to fall into place.
When that happens, clarity is out, and so is widespread customer confidence.
To fix this, you first have to ask: What is our menu trying to do?
Is it here to push volume through a few hero formats? Should it spotlight sheer variety, drive delivery sales, or maximise dwell-time dining?
Once a menu’s purpose is clear, everything from layout and dish naming to price anchoring starts to fall into place.
2
Rethink Value Perception
Newsflash: Value isn’t just about cost! It’s about what customers feel they’re getting.
Sometimes a menu item is priced pretty perfectly but still feels 'expensive', be it because it looks small, lacks variety, or it just doesn’t deliver a sense of indulgence.
On the other side, you have options that are actually too large, driving up cost with no gain in perceived value.
Improving value perception might mean upsizing a category leader.
Or redesigning portions to allow a “big” and “small” tier.
Or creating bundles that allow customers to build meals they see as more worthwhile.
Bottom Line? You don’t have to drop prices to deliver value, you just need to control how value is experienced. Menu structure, price ladders and product composition all play a part.
Sometimes a menu item is priced pretty perfectly but still feels 'expensive', be it because it looks small, lacks variety, or it just doesn’t deliver a sense of indulgence.
On the other side, you have options that are actually too large, driving up cost with no gain in perceived value.
Improving value perception might mean upsizing a category leader.
Or redesigning portions to allow a “big” and “small” tier.
Or creating bundles that allow customers to build meals they see as more worthwhile.
Bottom Line? You don’t have to drop prices to deliver value, you just need to control how value is experienced. Menu structure, price ladders and product composition all play a part.
Looking to revamp your QSR menu?
Reach out to our expert team to discuss your support needs!
Reach out to our expert team to discuss your support needs!
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3
Build a Better Protein Strategy
On most QSR menus, protein is both the cost anchor and the excitement driver.
Diversifying protein offers can both relieve pressure on popular SKUs and help improve gross profit, without compromising customer choice.
One such route?
Introducing proteins that are cost-effective, versatile, and craveable, and then pair them with bold flavours that add character and differentiation.
When protein is treated as a strategy (not just a cost line), it opens up new pricing tiers, new formats and new menu energy.
Diversifying protein offers can both relieve pressure on popular SKUs and help improve gross profit, without compromising customer choice.
One such route?
Introducing proteins that are cost-effective, versatile, and craveable, and then pair them with bold flavours that add character and differentiation.
When protein is treated as a strategy (not just a cost line), it opens up new pricing tiers, new formats and new menu energy.
Not sure what support you need?
4
Upgrade Your Supporting Cast
Many QSR operators invest heavily in their core dishes, but neglect the add-ons that drive incremental spend and brand personality.
Add-ons are not a one-size-fits-all in QSR, but we're talking things like sauces that add colour, kick and customisation; toppings that improve texture and visual appeal; and snackable sides that boost basket size without adding ops pressure.
Honestly, that extra drizzle, that personalised crunchy bite, that irresistible extra snack - they’re often the difference between a good menu and a great one.
Done right, these extras elevate experiences while helping protect or even grow margin. They also give your team new ways to cross-sell and create repeat behaviour.
Add-ons are not a one-size-fits-all in QSR, but we're talking things like sauces that add colour, kick and customisation; toppings that improve texture and visual appeal; and snackable sides that boost basket size without adding ops pressure.
Honestly, that extra drizzle, that personalised crunchy bite, that irresistible extra snack - they’re often the difference between a good menu and a great one.
Done right, these extras elevate experiences while helping protect or even grow margin. They also give your team new ways to cross-sell and create repeat behaviour.
5
Plan for LTOs and Seasonal Drops
Image: Goldwood
Limited Time Offers (LTOs) are one of the most powerful ways to inject energy into your menu, but they need structure.
Too often, LTOs are last-minute, under-promoted and poorly integrated into operations.
The result? Usually more stress than sales.
LTO calendar strategy should start well in advance, but remember you don’t need to launch a blockbuster every month.
Having four-to-six pre-developed LTOs per year keeps your menu dynamic, your brand relevant and your customers engaged.
Too often, LTOs are last-minute, under-promoted and poorly integrated into operations.
The result? Usually more stress than sales.
LTO calendar strategy should start well in advance, but remember you don’t need to launch a blockbuster every month.
Having four-to-six pre-developed LTOs per year keeps your menu dynamic, your brand relevant and your customers engaged.
QSR Restaurant Menus
Supporting your Journey
Supporting your Journey
With decades of experience improving, refining and reinventing menus for some of the industry's biggest and boldest names, Egg Soldiers understands what makes a menu truly work.
From strategic repositioning to dish-level optimisation, we work daily with QSRs and hospitality operators to unlock more from their menus: more sales, more clarity, more impact.
But what does our process actually look like? How do we take an underperforming offer and turn it into something sharper, leaner and more commercially effective?
To give you a taste, we’ve created a series of FREE showcases to highlight our approach - based on a hypothetical client and a potential base brief:
From strategic repositioning to dish-level optimisation, we work daily with QSRs and hospitality operators to unlock more from their menus: more sales, more clarity, more impact.
But what does our process actually look like? How do we take an underperforming offer and turn it into something sharper, leaner and more commercially effective?
To give you a taste, we’ve created a series of FREE showcases to highlight our approach - based on a hypothetical client and a potential base brief:
Contact us for more information on our services
Discover our menu deveopment process!
Discover our strategic process!
Some of our Success Stories!
Business we've supported with fresh eyes expertise!