Many restaurant chains are shrinking their menus. Behind this shift lies a strategy to cut costs, speed service, and highlight signature dishes.

Restaurant menus across the U.S. are quietly shrinking, and the strategy behind it reveals how kitchens are adapting to costs and demand.

You sit down at a restaurant and are handed a tome of a menu and suddenly you're lost. Faced with page after page containing multiple sections and headings like "Chef's Specials," "Seasonal Plates," ...