Death by 1,000 SKUs: How B-side dishes quietly create waste

At some point, every menu becomes a little… ambitious. A seasonal special stays. A limited-time offer becomes permanent. A “why not?” turns into “why do we still have this?” Before long, the menu isn’t curated, it’s accumulated. And when accumulation outpaces intention, waste usually isn’t far behind.

• Playmakers vs. Placeholders – Every menu has a starting lineup. In many dining programs, roughly 20–30% of items generate 70–80% of total sales.¹ ² These dishes are your stars: consistent, revenue-driving, hard to bench. The rest are on the roster, consuming bandwidth but rarely carrying the game. They require the same prep time, storage, forecasting focus, and training energy as your top performers without the same return. That distinction matters more than most operators realize. When operational energy is spread across too many low-performing items, forecasting gets harder, execution gets messier, and waste becomes more likely.

• Game of Thrown-outs – Lower-demand items don’t just sit quietly on the roster, they subtly increase risk. It turns out the biggest drivers of food waste aren’t dramatic; they’re operational. Research repeatedly points to overproduction and stock surplus as leading contributors.³ Every additional SKU widens the margin for variability in forecasting, ordering, and execution. Menu complexity offers the illusion of endless choice, but that illusion often sets the stage for overproduction and avoidable waste.

• Show Some ID - A menu built around endless choice can feel impressive, even reassuring, but it can blur your program’s identity. When you narrow your focus to the items that guests reliably choose and teams prepare with confidence, you don’t lose variety. You gain definition which strengthens the guest experience.  Research backs that up: excessive choice can reduce satisfaction and increase decision fatigue.⁴ In the end, your program’s identity isn’t about offering more. It’s about knowing what earns a spot on the menu and editing accordingly.

  If you suspect you’re running a buffet of B-sides, we can help.  Just click below to get in contact with our team.

1.  Juran, J. M. (1954). Quality control handbook. McGraw-Hill.

2.  Tardi, C. (2026, February 10). The 80-20 rule (aka Pareto principle): What it is and how it works. Investopedia.

3. Thyberg, K. L., & Tonjes, D. J. (2016). Drivers of food waste and their implications for sustainable policy development. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 106, 110–123.

4. Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 995–1006. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.6.995