Your 90-minute massage is always booked.

Your 30-minute express facial sits empty.

But which one actually makes you more money?

The answer might surprise you.

The Spa Menu Trap

Most spa menus grow organically:

"Clients keep asking for hot stone, let's add it"
"Our competitor offers this facial, we should too"
"This product rep convinced me to add their treatment"

Before you know it, you have 40+ services, complex inventory, and no idea what's actually profitable.

Menu engineering fixes this.

It's a concept from restaurants—analyzing each item by popularity AND profitability, then making strategic decisions.

The Profitability Formula

For each service, calculate:

True Profit = Revenue - (Product Cost + Labor Cost + Room Cost + Overhead Allocation)

Breaking It Down

Product Cost: Actual products used (be honest about amounts)

Labor Cost: Therapist pay for that time slot

Employee: Hourly rate or commission
Owner: What you SHOULD pay yourself

Room Cost: (Monthly rent ÷ rooms ÷ operating hours) × service time

Overhead Allocation: Assign a percentage of utilities, insurance, etc.

Real Spa Menu Analysis

Let's analyze a typical spa's services:

The 90-Minute Signature Massage

Component	Cost
Price charged	$180
Product (oils, linens)	$8
Labor (50% commission)	$90
Room cost (90 min)	$15
Overhead allocation	$12
Profit	$55
Profit margin	31%
Profit per hour	$37

The 30-Minute Express Facial

Component	Cost
Price charged	$65
Product	$12
Labor (50% commission)	$32
Room cost (30 min)	$5
Overhead allocation	$4
Profit	$12
Profit margin	18%
Profit per hour	$24

The 60-Minute Custom Facial

Component	Cost
Price charged	$120
Product	$18
Labor	$60
Room cost	$10
Overhead	$8
Profit	$24
Profit margin	20%
Profit per hour	$24

The Body Wrap Treatment

Component	Cost
Price charged	$150
Product	$35
Labor	$75
Room cost	$10
Overhead	$8
Profit	$22
Profit margin	15%
Profit per hour	$22

The Four Categories

Now plot each service on this matrix:

	High Profit	Low Profit
High Popularity	⭐ STARS	🐴 WORKHORSES
Low Popularity	❓ PUZZLES	🐕 DOGS

STARS (High profit + High popularity) → Protect these. Feature them. Never discount.

WORKHORSES (Low profit + High popularity) → They bring people in but don't make much. Raise prices or reduce costs.

PUZZLES (High profit + Low popularity) → Hidden gems. Market them better or bundle with popular services.

DOGS (Low profit + Low popularity) → Why do you still offer these? Cut them.

Common Spa Menu Mistakes

1. The "Because We've Always Had It" Service

That seaweed wrap from 2015? If it books twice a month and barely breaks even, it's taking up menu space and mental energy.

Cut it. Nobody will miss it.

2. The Complicated Upsell

Add-ons that require extra product prep, special equipment, or therapist training often eat their own profit.

Track the TRUE cost of add-ons:

Hot stones: Great margin if you already heat them for other services
Specialized mask: Terrible margin if you open a $50 product for one use

3. The Prestige Service

"We need a $400 service to look high-end."

Maybe. But if it books once a month and requires special training, special products, and extended room time—is it worth having?

Prestige services only work if they're actually profitable OR if they drive bookings of other services.

4. Package Pricing That Loses Money

"Buy a package of 5 massages, get 15% off!"

Sounds good until you realize you just turned a 31% margin service into a 16% margin service.

Discount less profitable services, not your stars.

Optimizing Your Menu

For STARS:

Feature prominently on website and in-spa
Train team to recommend them
Never include in package discounts

For WORKHORSES:

Increase price 10-15%
Reduce product cost without reducing quality
Convert to "upgrade from" service for STARS

For PUZZLES:

Create marketing campaign
Bundle with popular services
Try as add-on to existing services
Give 90 days to improve—then reevaluate

For DOGS:

Remove from menu immediately
Don't look back

The Streamlined Spa Menu

The most profitable spas often have FEWER services, not more.

Consider:

4-5 massage options (varying time/pressure)
3-4 facial options (by skin concern)
2-3 body treatments (max)
Strategic add-ons (5-6 with good margins)

That's 15-18 services total. Enough variety without complexity.

Know Your Real Numbers

Stop guessing which services make money.

Do the analysis. Plot the matrix. Make the hard cuts.

Your profit margin will thank you.

👉 Vinci 26 helps spas track service performance, manage bookings efficiently, and build profitable schedules—without marketplace fees.

Build something that's truly yours.

Spa Menu Engineering: Which Services Actually Make Money