Every event is priced per person (pp). The client pays a menu rate. Our job is to make sure the food cost stays within target so the kitchen runs profitably. The system tracks this automatically — this guide explains the math behind it.
| What the Client Pays | What the Kitchen Needs to Control | What That Leaves |
|---|---|---|
| Selling price /pp e.g. $18/pp for Hors D'oeuvres | Food cost /pp target: 22–25% of selling price | Margin for labor, overhead, profit ~75–78% of selling price |
| $18.00 /pp | $3.96–$4.50 /pp (22–25%) | $13.50–$14.04 /pp |
| $20.00 /pp (Classic Station) | $4.40–$5.00 /pp | $15.00–$15.60 /pp |
| $55.00 /pp (Grand Buffet) | $12.10–$13.75 /pp | $41.25–$42.90 /pp |
For items served directly per guest — like passed hors d'oeuvres, plated dinners, and buffet dishes — the recipe ingredients are entered per person. The system adds them up to get your food cost per person.
| Food Cost % | Status | What It Means | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 22% ✦ | Excellent | Very profitable, well-controlled ingredients | No action needed |
| 22–25% ✓ | On Target | Ideal range — profitable and quality | Maintain |
| 25–28% ⚠ | Watch | Getting close to limit — review portions | Review ingredient quantities |
| Over 28% ✕ | Over Budget | Food cost too high — losing margin | Reduce portion size or substitute ingredient |
Stations are cooked in batches, not per person. A batch makes a certain number of pieces, and each guest gets a certain number of pieces. The system converts batch cost → cost per piece → cost per guest automatically.
The client's total per-person price is the sum of all menu sections they've selected. Then service fee and NJ tax are added on top. The discount — if any — is applied to the food subtotal before fees and tax are calculated.
| Menu Section | Mon–Thu /pp | Fri/Sat/Sun /pp | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passed Hors D'oeuvres | $15 | $18 | Individual |
| Classic Chef Station (1–3) | $20 | $20 | Package |
| Classic Chef Stations (4-pack) | $50 | $60 | Package |
| Classic Chef Station (5th+) | $10 | $10 | Package |
| Signature Chef Station | $30 | $30 | Package |
| Classic Carving Station | $10 | $12 | Package |
| Signature Carving Station | $15 | $18 | Package |
| Cold Displays | $25 | $30 | Individual |
| Chef Salads | $2 | $3 | Individual |
| First Course | $8 | $10 | Individual |
| Grand Buffet Experience | $55 | $65 | Individual |
| Classic Plated Dinner | $50 | $60 | Individual |
| Signature Plated Dinner | $75 | $90 | Individual |
| After Party | $7 | $9 | Package |
| Desserts | $7 | $9 | Individual |
| Service Fee | 23% of subtotal | ||
| NJ Sales Tax | 6.625% | ||