The Challenge
Istanbul Grill is a popular fast-casual restaurant in Aarhus known for their authentic Turkish cuisine. Despite strong foot traffic and positive reviews, revenue had plateaued. Head Chef Ayse Demir suspected the menu was the problem but lacked the data to prove it or know what to change.
The menu had grown organically over 8 years to 67 items. Some were customer favorites, some were kept out of tradition, and some nobody ordered but nobody had the data to confidently remove them. Pricing had not been systematically reviewed in over 3 years.
Additionally, food costs were climbing. Ayse was over-prepping popular items on slow days and running out on busy ones. Without demand forecasting, every day was a guessing game that resulted in either waste or missed sales.
The Solution
Istanbul Grill deployed Madexpres with a focus on AI-powered menu intelligence and demand forecasting. Within the first week, the AI analyzed their complete order history, cross-referenced with ingredient costs, preparation times, and customer behavior patterns.
The AI identified 4 menu items that were generating less than 1% of revenue while consuming unique ingredients and disproportionate prep time. It also found that 6 of their best sellers were priced significantly below what the local market and demand patterns supported.
Ayse implemented the AI recommendations in phases: first removing the 4 underperformers and simplifying the kitchen workflow, then gradually adjusting prices on the 6 best sellers over a 3-week period to avoid customer surprise. The AI also suggested 2 new bundle deals based on common ordering patterns.
The demand forecasting system was activated simultaneously. After 30 days of learning Istanbul Grill's specific patterns, it began generating daily prep recommendations that accounted for day-of-week trends, weather, and local event calendars.
Results
Total revenue increase within 60 days of implementing AI recommendations
Reduction in food waste from AI demand forecasting
Streamlined menu by removing underperforming items
Increase from repricing and AI-suggested bundle deals
Daily prep quantity accuracy after 90 days of AI learning
Average reduction in order prep time from menu simplification
The AI told us our Margherita was underpriced and our Thursday prep was 30% too high. We adjusted both. Revenue up 23%, waste down to almost nothing. No other platform even comes close to this.
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