Menu Mavens

One of a restaurant owner's biggest worries — when, and by how much, to raise prices of menu items — can be a thorny and tense situation.

That lone issue has fueled the rise of Tampa-based Revenue Management Solutions.

With little fanfare outside its niche sector, the company uses a data-based approach and regression analysis to understand what customers will pay for a specific menu item. The formula includes the time of day people order items, how often an item is ordered and other data connected to the purchase.