Published in Formosa Journal of Multidisciplinary Research in 2026, the study found that the restaurant's Indonesian menus were dominated by the “Star” category, meaning dishes with both strong customer popularity and high profitability. At the same time, 13 of the 14 menus, or 93 percent, were classified as culinary heritage products.
The combination suggests that traditional cuisine does not necessarily have to compete with business interests. When managed strategically, Indonesian dishes can become signature products while continuing to represent local culture.
Traditional Cuisine Faces a Challenge in Hotel Restaurants
The growth of tourism has increased demand for authentic experiences connected to local culture. Hotels and restaurants are therefore becoming more than places to eat and stay; they can also introduce visitors to the history and identity of a destination through food.
Bali provides a particularly important setting for this issue because of its strong tourism industry and diverse culinary heritage. However, hotel restaurants may still prioritize international dishes because they are considered more familiar to foreign visitors. This can leave traditional Indonesian dishes with high cultural value in a weaker commercial position.
Wijayananda and his colleagues addressed this challenge by combining two perspectives: restaurant performance and culinary heritage. The approach considers not only how often a dish is ordered and how much profit it generates, but also whether it retains traditional ingredients, recipes, preparation techniques and cultural meaning.
Researchers Examined 14 Indonesian Dishes
The research used a descriptive qualitative approach supported by simple quantitative analysis. Researchers examined Indonesian menu items that were consistently available at Restaurant C during 2025 and had complete sales and production-cost records.
The 14 dishes included Lumpia, Gado-Gado, Dory Fish with Sambal Matah, Chicken Porridge, Ayam Betutu, Ayam Pelalah, Breakfast Fried Noodles, Special Fried Rice, Restaurant C Fried Rice, Beef Rendang, Fried Noodles, Beef/Chicken Satay, Chicken Soto and Restaurant C Oxtail Soup.
Researchers collected information through restaurant observations, documents such as sales and food-cost records, and interviews with chefs and restaurant management. They then classified the dishes using the menu engineering approach, which evaluates popularity and profitability.
The dishes were grouped into four categories:
- Star: high popularity and high profitability.
- Puzzle: high profitability but relatively low popularity.
- Plowhorse: high popularity but relatively low profitability.
- Dog: low popularity and low profitability.
Six Traditional Dishes Became Top Performers
The results showed that the Star category contained the largest number of menu items. Six dishes were classified as Stars: Breakfast Fried Noodles, Special Fried Rice, Restaurant C Fried Rice, Beef Rendang, Fried Noodles and Beef/Chicken Satay. Three dishes were classified as Puzzle, two as Plowhorse and three as Dog.
This result is important because the Star category represents dishes that combine customer demand with strong financial contribution. The researchers specifically identified Special Fried Rice, Beef Rendang, Fried Noodles and Beef/Chicken Satay as strategically important products for the restaurant.
The findings challenge the assumption that traditional food has limited commercial potential in modern hotel restaurants. Instead, the researchers found that heritage-based dishes can become flagship products when supported by appropriate pricing, consistent quality and effective restaurant operations.
However, cultural value alone does not guarantee strong sales. Ayam Betutu, Ayam Pelalah and Restaurant C Oxtail Soup were classified as Puzzle items, showing that dishes with cultural and profit potential may still require stronger promotion and visibility.
93 Percent of Menus Qualified as Culinary Heritage
One of the clearest findings was the high proportion of heritage-based dishes. Thirteen of the 14 menus, equivalent to 93 percent, were classified as culinary heritage, while only one menu was categorized as non-heritage.
The assessment considered recipe authenticity, local ingredients, traditional processing techniques and cultural values embedded in each dish.
The researchers found that most dishes in the Star category were also culinary heritage products. This indicates a positive relationship between cultural value and commercial performance in the restaurant examined. At the same time, heritage status was not enough by itself to ensure success because marketing, menu design, presentation, customer experience and staff recommendations also influenced performance.
I Made Wijayananda and colleagues from Bali Tourism Polytechnic argue, in substance, that Indonesian traditional dishes can function simultaneously as commercial flagship products and representations of cultural heritage when supported by effective management. Their analysis therefore places culinary preservation and restaurant profitability within the same management framework.
Implications for Hotels and Culinary Tourism
The findings offer practical guidance for hotel restaurants and tourism businesses.
High-performing traditional dishes can be maintained as signature products, with consistent attention to taste, quality and presentation. Profitable but less popular dishes can receive stronger promotion, improved menu descriptions and cultural storytelling. Popular dishes with low profit margins can be reviewed through production costs, portion management and carefully considered pricing.
The research also recommends evaluating low-performing dishes from both economic and cultural perspectives. A dish with weak sales should not automatically be removed if it represents an important part of culinary heritage.
For tourism destinations, this approach could strengthen the role of food as part of the visitor experience. The researchers propose culinary programs such as Tanah Lot Street Feast, Tanah Lot Heritage Flavor Experience and Tropical Comfort Selection to optimize Indonesian menus while promoting culinary heritage.
The study nevertheless has limitations. It examined only one restaurant, so the results cannot automatically be generalized to all hotel restaurants. The researchers also recommend future studies involving customer perceptions, satisfaction, seasonal sales patterns and comparisons among restaurants in different tourism destinations.
Author Profile
I Made Wijayananda is affiliated with the Hotel Management Study Program, Bali Tourism Polytechnic, Indonesia, and serves as the corresponding author of the article. His research in this publication focuses on hotel and restaurant management, menu engineering and Indonesian culinary heritage. The article was co-authored by Ni Komang Emiliani Krisdalini, Ni Komang Anik Purwasih, I Komang Andika Januarsa Putera, I Nyoman Adi Putra Wiguna, and Prastha Adyatma, all affiliated with the Hotel Management Study Program at Bali Tourism Polytechnic.
The source article does not provide the authors' academic degrees, so no degrees are added here to avoid introducing unsupported information.
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