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Food Costing Programs, YOUR THOUGHTS?

post #1 of 8
7/26/11 at 11:44am
Thread Starter 

I've been operating my catering for the last two years and have been skimming by with my costing skills from culinary school. I have been researching two programs to purchase that can streamline my costing, but I'm unsure of them. All of my computers are mac and both websites don't specify if they are mac compatible. So my questions refer to these two systems...

 

CostGuard

 

and

 

EatEC

 

 

1. Do you know which is mac compatible, if at all?

2. What is your experience with them?

3. What are your PRO's and CON's about the program itself?

4. Are there any other programs that is more suitable for catering that you can recommend? 

 

-Thank you!!!

 

-Chef Charles

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post #2 of 8
7/26/11 at 11:58am

I use a spread sheet I made in OpenOffice.

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post #3 of 8
7/26/11 at 12:00pm

Are you looking for a plate/recipe costing thing, or some kind of inventory and cost control system?

 

The later might be a bit of an overkill.

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post #4 of 8
7/30/11 at 3:01am
Thread Starter 

i'm looking for more of a plate/recipe costing thing. Yeah, I agree, inventory and cost control system is a bit over the top. I've been using a spread sheet in excel and it works but It's overly complicated. I was thinking of something that is more streamlined. Something that I might be able to train someone on rather than having them go through a class similar to what I had to do when I was in culinary school.

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post #5 of 8
7/30/11 at 3:23am

Food costing as a caterer is a bit more difficult then average as you are working with what I term displacement factors. Meaning you sell a package for $60.00 a head with standard good liquor. Now on final arrangements you sell them premium liquors at lets say 6 00.. more a person. Since you first package was 60.00  your new one is 66. but you did not give credit for original liquor that they are not getting.

Chef EdB
Over 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US  with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). 
      Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...
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post #6 of 8
7/30/11 at 3:32am
Thread Starter 

Chef,

 

Thank you for your reply. I agree with you, is it possible to completely separate liquor from the package? Rather than combining it with a food package, leave it separate for those that may choose the "premium" choices without liquor. That way, if the client decides to purchase liquor of any kind, it is already an additional fee. So if the package was lets say, $50.00 (just food) and a separate "optional" list for liquors that can be tacked on after the food cost?

 

Would this method/menu organization be more challenging and thus more labor intensive? 

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post #7 of 8
7/30/11 at 3:46pm

WE were a multi room volume caterer 7 ballrooms under 1 roof we grossed 17 million per year with a volume so big that we averaged in season an unbelievable 12% food cost  Over 12000 covers a week ..Everything was from scratch and not 1 thing wasted. It was unreal. We  told purveyors what we were willing to pay they didn't tell us.

Chef EdB
Over 50 years in food service business 35 as Ex Chef. Specializing in Volume upscale Catering both on and off premise .(former Exec. Chef in the largest on premise caterer in US  with 17 Million Dollars per year annual volume). 
      Well versed in all facets of Continental Cuisine...
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post #8 of 8
8/2/11 at 4:15pm
Thread Starter 

wow! Chef, that's amazing!! Although my business does not cover such volumes. With volumes that high would the cost lower due to the large produce orders made? I mean, 1x50# sack of onions is going to cost more when compared to the individual cost of 100 sacks of onion would it not?

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