For a restaurant to be profitable, not only does it need to achieve specific sales goals but it must also hit certain cost targets as well. However, if you don't know what your target should be then how can you expect to hit it?

The Menu & Recipe Cost Template is a Microsoft Excel® set of spreadsheets designed to help you prepare an accurate costing for all your menu items and recipes. Once you've completed the setup for each menu item then all you need to do is to enter current purchase prices for ingredients you buy, then watch as each recipe and menu item is automatically updated with current costs.

This workbook is an expanded version of the tools used to create our RecipeMapping series, a step-by-step method for adding menu items, and illustrated using tested recipes from actual restaurants.

The Menu & Recipe Cost Template is downloadable in Microsoft Excel® file format.

Summary of features & benefits:

• The Inventory Master worksheet is used to automatically convert purchase unit cost to recipe unit cost.

• Holds up to 300 ingredients, 100 menu items and 100 sub-recipes.

• Easy to use "drop-down" lists eliminate repetitive typing or the need to cut & paste.

• Maintains current recipe cost for each menu item.

• Allows you to experiment with various cost percentage targets by entering different selling prices.

• Automatically recalculates menu and recipe costs as each ingredient cost is changed.

• The recipe card can be printed "without the cost information" for use in your recipe manual and kitchen.

• Each recipe can be a sub-recipe for another recipe or a menu item.

Sample of the Inventory Master

The Inventory Master list should reflects not only the purchasing cost and unit of measure, but also the corresponding recipe cost and unit of measure. This version supports up to 300 ingredients.

Sample of a Menu Cost Form

The Menu Cost Forms are grouped into 10 separate worksheets, each containing 10 menu cost forms. Each group can be renamed to fit your own unique needs.

Sample of a Recipe Card

Like the Menu Cost Forms, the Recipe worksheets are divided into 10 different groups that can be renamed if desired. Even a simple, single menu item often requires several recipes, or sub-recipes that are produced in batch. The recipe batch is then assigned its own recipe unit and cost based on to total cost to produce the batch and how much it yields. Once a recipe card is created it can then be used within other recipes, or within the Menu Cost Form.

Each Recipe Card contains both preparation and cost information. The cost is updated each time the price of ingredients listed in the Inventory master is changed. The recipe measures an instructions can be printed without the cost information, for use by the kitchen and in your recipe manual.