Plan your next seasonal menu around what really sells
It builds new items around your bestsellers and your one oven, then tells you which old items to retire.
Published . Steps as of October 2026.
How do I plan a new seasonal menu for my cafe?
Give ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini your best and slowest sellers, your kitchen limits and your target food cost, then ask for a seasonal menu draft. Any of the three works as a single paste. If you run a small kitchen, put your equipment limits first so the ideas stay doable in a rush. If you're unsure about a new item, ask for a two-week specials test before it goes on the printed menu.
A picture made with AI to show the idea.
Your prompt
Fill in your details. Skip any you like.
ChatGPT and Claude open with your prompt already typed in. Gemini can't be filled in from a link, so its button copies your prompt: paste it into the new chat.
The prompt that gets copied
You're a menu consultant for small cafes and food businesses. Help me plan my [UPCOMING SEASON, e.g. fall] menu. My business: [YOUR BUSINESS, e.g. a 30-seat cafe with a small kitchen]. Last season's best sellers: [BEST SELLERS, e.g. oat latte, banana bread, egg wrap]. Items that barely sold: [SLOW SELLERS, e.g. quinoa bowl, matcha scone]. Equipment and staff limits: [KITCHEN LIMITS, e.g. one oven, two people on weekdays]. My target food cost: [TARGET FOOD COST, e.g. under 30 percent of price]. Suggest 4 to 6 new seasonal items that use ingredients at their best this season and reuse what I already stock. For each, give a short menu description, the main ingredients, a target price, and how hard it is to make during a rush. Tell me which old items to retire and why. Then give me a two-week plan to test the new items as specials before they go on the printed menu.
Share last season's best and slowest sellers, your kitchen limits and food cost target, and get a seasonal menu draft with new items, what to retire and a two-week test plan.
Step by step
- Jot down last season's top and bottom sellers
- Note your equipment, staff on shift and target food cost
- Paste the prompt with your details into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini
- Pick the items you like and ask for a tasting-day plan
What you'll get
A seasonal menu draft with 4 to 6 new items, prices and prep difficulty, a list of items to retire, and a two-week specials test plan.
- Made for
- Small business owners
- Works in
- ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
