How MakeOrNot Works

A practical decision system for café menus — not an idea generator.

MakeOrNot helps independent cafés turn signals, constraints, and context into clear menu decisions.

Signals don’t make decisions. Systems do.

Our principle is simple

A drink is only worth launching when demand signals, operational feasibility, and menu fit align.

Three inputs. One decision framework.

What people are interested in — locally and seasonally

Demand Signals

Interest shows potential, not certainty.

  • Search and platform interest
  • Seasonal relevance
  • Regional variation

What you can realistically execute

Reality Constraints

Many “good ideas” fail at this layer.

  • Available ingredients
  • Supplier access and cost
  • Prep complexity and service speed

What fits your café

Menu Context

A drink can be good — and still wrong for your shop.

  • Shop type and positioning
  • Existing menu balance
  • Customer expectations

From raw signals to structured decisions

MakeOrNot doesn’t “pick drinks”.

It filters, scores, and ranks options using a structured decision model.

Normalise

Different signals are standardised so they can be compared fairly.

Trend data, seasonality, and feasibility are not treated equally — they are weighted.

Filter

Options that fail basic feasibility rules are removed.

If a drink can’t be sourced, prepared, or priced realistically, it doesn’t proceed.

Score & Rank

Remaining options are evaluated across multiple dimensions: Demand potential, Operational feasibility, Cost and margin realism and Menu coherence

The result is not a list of ideas — but a ranked shortlist.

This is a decision system you can question, not a black box you must trust.

You always see why a decision was made

For every suggested drink, MakeOrNot shows:

  • What signals influenced it
  • What constraints it passed
  • What trade-offs exist

Why this works

Because it mirrors real café decision-making

  • Cafés don’t fail because of lack of ideas
  • They fail because ideas ignore constraints
  • MakeOrNot embeds those constraints from the start

The system doesn’t replace judgement — it structures it.