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“My average ticket was stuck… until I rethought my pricing ladder”

Claire Brunaud
Aug 19
2 min read

The Context

Marc, an independent restaurateur in Bordeaux, puts a lot of thought into building a well-balanced menu. Not too long, clearly segmented, tailored to his bistronomic clientele.

He’s careful not to surprise customers with pricing, all his main dishes are priced between €17 and €19.

But after months of growing foot traffic, he notices one thing : his average ticket won’t budge. And with rising costs, he knows the average ticket is key to improving profitability.

The Problem

Marc thought he was doing the right thing by offering dishes "on the same level", making it easier for guests to choose.

But what he didn’t see was that this narrow price range prevents natural upselling.

Customers instinctively choose the cheapest dish, since the price difference is too small to justify trading up.

Enter Fyre

With Fyre, Marc not only analyzes the performance of each dish, he also assesses how they’re positioned within a strategic price range.

He realizes his main courses are only €2 apart, too narrow to create any price-based segmentation.

What Fyre Reveals

In the industry, an effective price range (from entry-level to premium) typically spans 2.5 to 3x the lowest-priced item, so every customer segment finds something that fits.

At Marc’s place :

Entry-level dish : €17
Most expensive : €19
➡️ Too flat = no incentive to trade up

Actions Taken

Marc restructures his pricing :

Introduces a simpler, well-margined dish at €15
Repositions his two most elaborate dishes at €22
Improves descriptions to increase perceived value (“Roasted duck breast with Landes honey” vs. “Duck with honey sauce”)