KitchenMargin field guides
Clear methods for costing food and pricing menus.
Learn the operating concepts behind the calculators, from purchase yields and portion costs to delivery fees and actual-versus-theoretical food cost.
Field guide
How to cost a recipe without hiding waste
A practical method for moving from supplier packs to usable ingredient cost, batch cost, and portion cost.
Read guide →02Field guide
How to calculate cost per serving
A serving-cost method that distinguishes ingredient cost from the complete variable cost of a sale.
Read guide →03Field guide
AP cost vs EP cost: the yield difference
Why as-purchased cost and edible-portion cost produce different answers—and when each belongs in a recipe.
Read guide →04Field guide
Markup vs margin for menu pricing
A compact explanation of two percentages that sound similar but create very different selling prices.
Read guide →05Field guide
Labor, packaging, and overhead in recipe costing
A clear boundary between direct variable costs and broader operating overhead.
Read guide →06Field guide
How to price a delivery menu
Compare direct and marketplace orders without assuming that commission is the only channel cost.
Read guide →07Field guide
Restaurant food cost explained
The difference between recipe cost, theoretical food cost, and inventory-based actual food cost.
Read guide →08Field guide
Theoretical vs actual food cost
How variance can reveal waste, portion drift, price changes, transfers, and inventory errors.
Read guide →09Field guide
A practical restaurant menu-pricing workflow
Combine cost floors, channel economics, market context, and operational judgment without pretending one formula sets the perfect price.
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