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Margin, costing and operations, explained

Practical insight for hospitality operators — protecting margin, costing recipes and running tighter venues. From the Chefy team.

Braised lamb shankre-costed $11.54/kgAvg margin68.2%Pumpkin salad basere-costed $18.98/kgWaste this week$214.80House mayore-costed $5.97/kgRecipes re-costed today14Burger basere-costed $4.29/kgAvg food cost27.5%
A customer taps a card on a small white payment terminal at a busy cafe counter while the woman serving half-turns to call an order back.
Comparisons & tools

Square counts what's on the shelf, not what's on the plate

Square's inventory grew real teeth in 2026: Recipes in beta and a MarketMan add-on in Australia. What they cover, what they cost, and when a multi-venue group still needs a dedicated costing system.

Sam7 min read
A line cook turns hash browns on a diner flat-top during the breakfast rush while a server reaches through the pass window for plates.New
Margin & costing

Restaurant food cost percentage: how to calculate it and bring it down

A packed dining room can still lose money if your food cost percentage is drifting. How US operators calculate it both ways, what a healthy number looks like by format, and how to bring it down without cutting quality.

Sam12 min read
A cook caps a line of burgers along a steel bench during lunch service, steam rising off the grill behind him.
Margin & costing

Food cost percentage: how to calculate it and bring it down

A busy service can still lose money if your food cost percentage is drifting. How to calculate it both ways, what a healthy figure looks like for your venue type, and how to bring it down without cutting quality.

Sam11 min read
A delivery driver wheels a stack of crates through the open back door of a restaurant early in the morning, watched by a kitchen hand holding the door.
Procurement & suppliers

Catching invoice creep before it reaches your menu

Supplier prices rarely jump, they creep, one invoice at a time, until your menu is costed on numbers that are months out of date. Here is how Australian venues catch the increases early and protect margin.

Sam8 min read
Female chef intently writing new prices on a small chalkboard menu in a bistro, referencing a printed list. A digital scale is on the counter behind her.
Margin & costing

Menu pricing strategy: when to reprice your menu, and when to hold

Most venues reprice once a year and hope. Here is the missing layer of menu pricing strategy: the triggers that say move, which dishes to check first, and a cadence a lean team can run.

Sam9 min read
Chef confidently reviewing food price forecasts for beef, lamb, and dairy on a tablet in a modern kitchen.
Ingredient prices

Food price forecast 2026/27: the beef, lamb and dairy outlook for Australian kitchens

Beef and lamb are forecast to ease into 2026-27 while dairy tightens and gets dearer. Here is what the ABARES, Dairy Australia and ABS numbers mean for your food cost, with a worked example of recosting a dish.

Sam8 min read
A supplier delivery of fresh produce being checked in at a venue's back door on a tablet — where margin begins
Procurement & suppliers

Restaurant Procurement Management: 7 Margin Breaches to Catch Before Month-end

Restaurant procurement management isn't about ordering stock. It's the upstream control that keeps costings live and dish margin protected. Here are the 7 breaches to catch early.

Sam13 min read

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