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Idea or playbook

Food Cost Review Service for Cafés

Note: Any money examples here are hypothetical. We're not promising anyone will earn anything.

An idea for a service: help cafés work out what each menu item costs to make, with AI help and a spreadsheet you check by hand.

The idea

Help small cafés, bakeries, and food trucks work out what each menu item costs to make, using AI and a spreadsheet, then hand over a sheet they can keep updating.

Who it's for

Independent cafés, bakeries, food trucks, and small restaurants without a bookkeeper who tracks food costs.

The problem you solve

Ingredient prices move every month, but menu prices don't. The owner has a feeling some items lose money, but no time to check.

How you help

A fixed-scope review. You gather recipes and supplier prices, build a costing sheet with AI help, and check every formula by hand. For example, Google lists Gemini in Sheets, and Microsoft says Copilot works inside Excel. You walk the owner through the results, and they decide on any price changes.

Tools you'd use

Gemini in Google WorkspaceMicrosoft 365 Copilot for Business

How it works, step by step

Here's how it could work, step by step (it's an outline, not a case study):

  1. Collect recipes, portion sizes, and recent supplier invoices.
  2. Build the costing sheet for the top sellers first.
  3. Check every formula and unit by hand.
  4. Show cost per portion and cost as a share of menu price.
  5. Walk the owner through it. They make the pricing calls.
  6. Hand over the sheet and a short guide to updating prices monthly.

Ways to get paid

Common ways to charge (just examples, not our earnings): a fixed fee for the first review, plus an optional monthly price update. We're not quoting dollar amounts as market rates. Any numbers you use are hypothetical until you test them in your own market.

What you need to get started

You'll want solid spreadsheet skills, care with units and numbers, and a friendly way of explaining results to busy owners.

Keeping it running

Keep client recipes and supplier prices private. You're giving information, not financial or tax advice, so point owners to their accountant for those questions.

Things to watch out for

Watch out for recipes that aren't written down, unit mix-ups, and owners who don't update prices. Make updating as easy as possible.

Sources

Heads-up: some links here may become affiliate links down the road. Here's how that works. Right now, no affiliate programs are connected.