Three Key Queries to Prevent Menu Expansion in Your Small Business

Menu creep happens when a business gradually starts offering more items beyond its original focus. While it’s normal for businesses to evolve, menu creep occurs without a strategic decision and usually harms the business.

Imagine you own a taco truck. You begin with three types of tacos. Then, you notice a popular nearby quesadilla truck and decide to add quesadillas to your menu. Later, you spot a tater tots trend at a food show and add those too. Eventually, your taco truck menu bloats to 40 items. That’s menu creep.

This can make your business seem scattered, weaken your brand, and waste resources. Though commonly discussed in the restaurant industry, menu creep can affect any small business, leading to a messy array of products or services. To prevent it, consider these three questions.

Firstly, stick to offerings that align with your brand identity. Reflect on your core business and revisit your business plan if needed. If a product doesn’t fit, it needs to go.

Take Supercuts for example. It’s known for quick, budget-friendly haircuts. Adding hair extensions would clash with this identity because extensions are costly and time-consuming, disrupting their high-volume business model.

Whether you’re in retail, tech, or hospitality, trying to please everyone is a recipe for failure. Focus on your core customer and ignore the rest. When the first iPhone launched, some people complained about the lack of a physical keyboard. Apple didn’t change the design to satisfy everyone; instead, it stayed true to its core customer base. This helped avoid menu creep by not trying to appeal to every possible preference.

Remember, your core customer isn’t everyone who has ever bought from you. Just because one person requests a new product doesn’t mean the market wants it. Focus on the majority of your customers. Use surveys or focus groups to understand their needs and preferences.

As a small business, your resources—whether staff, materials, space, or time—are limited. Before adding a new product, assess the strain it may put on your resources.

Consider Pizza Hut. It offers takeout pizza and compatible add-ons, mostly using the same oven. It doesn’t serve deep-fried items because that would require extra equipment, space, and staff, which would strain their resources.

Evaluating your offerings and sticking close to your core can help you avoid the pitfalls of menu creep.