For chefs
New Dish Launch: A Costing Checklist for Chefs
Check cost, yield, supply and price before a dish hits the menu, then review it after.
By ChefMind AI Team · · 5 min read
A good dish can still lose money. Run through this checklist first.
Checklist
- Write the recipe with weights. See recipe cards.
- Test yields for trimmed or cooked ingredients. See yield testing.
- Cost every ingredient, including small items.
- Set a price from cost and your target. See pricing a menu item.
- Check supply: can your suppliers deliver it consistently?
- Check prep: does it fit your line and station capacity?
- Check reuse: do ingredients appear elsewhere? See cross-utilization.
- Train the team on the portion and plating.
- Set a review date.
Consider a soft launch
Run it as a special to test demand and timing before it commits to the printed menu.
After launch
Review sales and actual cost after a couple of weeks. Use menu engineering to judge it against the rest of the menu.
Where software helps
ChefMind AI costs recipes from ingredient prices so you see dish cost before you decide on the price.
The short version
- Recipe, yield, cost, price, supply, prep, training.
- Soft launch if possible.
- Review after a few weeks.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I test a new dish?
Long enough to cook it at service quantity and confirm yield and portion. Run it as a special first if you want real guest feedback.
When should I review a new dish?
After the first couple of weeks of sales, check popularity and actual cost against your plan.
Keep reading
For owners
How to Price a Menu Item From Ingredient Cost
Start with what the plate costs, apply a target food cost percentage, then test the price against what guests will pay and what the dish earns in dollars.
For chefs
Seasonal Menu Planning: A Costing-First Approach
Seasonal menus are exciting and risky. Cost the dishes before they hit the board.
For chefs
How to Write a Recipe Card Your Whole Kitchen Can Follow
If a new cook cannot reproduce the dish from the card, the card is unfinished.
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