# Cost a menu dish and set its menu price

A recipe cost card with yields, food cost percentage, and price options that hit my target margin.

- Topic: Finance & Accounting
- Framework: Few-Shot
- Level: Advanced
- Tags: Finance, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/cost-a-menu-dish-and-set-its-menu-price

## Prompt

```text
Help me cost a dish and set its menu price.

**Dish and portion:** [NAME, PLATED PORTION SIZES]
**Recipe ingredients:** [EACH INGREDIENT, QUANTITY PER PORTION, PURCHASE UNIT AND PRICE - e.g. "salmon fillet 180 g; case 10 lb at $98"]
**Known yields or trim loss:** [e.g. "whole salmon yields 60% usable", or "unknown"]
**Garnish, sauce, bread, and sides served with it:** [DETAILS]
**Target food cost %:** [e.g. 28-32%]
**Comparable prices on my menu and nearby competitors:** [PRICES]
**Concept and price positioning:** [e.g. neighborhood bistro, fine dining]

Steps:
1. Convert each ingredient from as-purchased (AP) cost to edible-portion (EP) cost using the yield; where I have not given a yield, use a clearly labeled typical estimate and mark it [VERIFY BY YIELD TEST].
2. Build a cost card: ingredient, portion qty, AP unit cost, yield %, EP cost per portion.
3. Add a "Q factor" allowance (2-5%) for seasonings, oil, and waste, and say what I chose.
4. Calculate total plate cost and the price needed for my target food cost %.
5. Give three price options (e.g. ending in .00, .50, or psychological pricing that fits my concept), with the food cost % and gross profit dollars for each.
6. Note the dollar contribution margin, not just the percentage, and whether a higher-cost dish might still earn more per plate.

Return the cost card as a table, the price options table, and 3 ways to lower the plate cost without hurting the dish (portion, substitution, cross-utilization). Use only the prices I give; do not invent supplier prices.
```

## What to fill in

- NAME, PLATED PORTION SIZES
- e.g. "whole salmon yields 60% usable", or "unknown"
- DETAILS
- e.g. 28-32%
- PRICES
- e.g. neighborhood bistro, fine dining
- VERIFY BY YIELD TEST

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.