Food Costs

[happykeeper]

We boast of a southern country breakfast, no foo-foo stuff here. We have guests often tell us that we feed too much, but I'm not about to change what's been working. Our owner originally told us that he wanted food costs at $2 per person or below (three years ago when we took over). I've estimated we hover between that and $2.50 per person. We don't do buffet or fancy stuff, buy in bulk when things are on sale, buy some items from wholesale clubs..

LOL- You have got to win some kind of award for makin' it work for two bucks a head.

 

[Silverspoon]

We boast of a southern country breakfast, no foo-foo stuff here. We have guests often tell us that we feed too much, but I'm not about to change what's been working. Our owner originally told us that he wanted food costs at $2 per person or below (three years ago when we took over). I've estimated we hover between that and $2.50 per person. We don't do buffet or fancy stuff, buy in bulk when things are on sale, buy some items from wholesale clubs..

What do you serve? Do you grow your own fruit? I know we pay a premium for everything here out at the end of the earth, but I can't even buy the first course for $2/person. You are one clever cook!

 

[Kay Nein]

We boast of a southern country breakfast, no foo-foo stuff here. We have guests often tell us that we feed too much, but I'm not about to change what's been working. Our owner originally told us that he wanted food costs at $2 per person or below (three years ago when we took over). I've estimated we hover between that and $2.50 per person. We don't do buffet or fancy stuff, buy in bulk when things are on sale, buy some items from wholesale clubs..

Huh... I know we did a cost spreadsheet when we started and saw that we were staying in that range. I don't think we had juice and coffee in that total. I guess I shouldn't have posted that, but I know we were close a few years ago when we first ran the numbers. I'll have to do it again now that y'all have me questioning it.

 

[Morticia]

We boast of a southern country breakfast, no foo-foo stuff here. We have guests often tell us that we feed too much, but I'm not about to change what's been working. Our owner originally told us that he wanted food costs at $2 per person or below (three years ago when we took over). I've estimated we hover between that and $2.50 per person. We don't do buffet or fancy stuff, buy in bulk when things are on sale, buy some items from wholesale clubs..

Huh... I know we did a cost spreadsheet when we started and saw that we were staying in that range. I don't think we had juice and coffee in that total. I guess I shouldn't have posted that, but I know we were close a few years ago when we first ran the numbers. I'll have to do it again now that y'all have me questioning it.
.

Huh... I know we did a cost spreadsheet when we started and saw that we were staying in that range. I don't think we had juice and coffee in that total. I guess I shouldn't have posted that, but I know we were close a few years ago when we first ran the numbers. I'll have to do it again now that y'all have me questioning it.

It's just so low it seems impossible. Especially to us in the frozen tundra.

 

[happykeeper]

We boast of a southern country breakfast, no foo-foo stuff here. We have guests often tell us that we feed too much, but I'm not about to change what's been working. Our owner originally told us that he wanted food costs at $2 per person or below (three years ago when we took over). I've estimated we hover between that and $2.50 per person. We don't do buffet or fancy stuff, buy in bulk when things are on sale, buy some items from wholesale clubs..

Huh... I know we did a cost spreadsheet when we started and saw that we were staying in that range. I don't think we had juice and coffee in that total. I guess I shouldn't have posted that, but I know we were close a few years ago when we first ran the numbers. I'll have to do it again now that y'all have me questioning it.
.

Ahhh.. no juice and coffee.
We pay $18 a pound for locally grown coffee. We do not serve juice unless it comes from a fresh fruit.
Truthfully, when I heard $2 a head, I thought biscuits and gravy with eggs. or white flour pancakes with eggs and farmer john link sausage. Not that I don't LOVE good biscuits and gravy, but we run in an entirely different direction. Maybe it isn't as far fetched as I thought when you are just counting the food portion, but could that include two rashers of bacon?

 

[TheBeachHouse]

We boast of a southern country breakfast, no foo-foo stuff here. We have guests often tell us that we feed too much, but I'm not about to change what's been working. Our owner originally told us that he wanted food costs at $2 per person or below (three years ago when we took over). I've estimated we hover between that and $2.50 per person. We don't do buffet or fancy stuff, buy in bulk when things are on sale, buy some items from wholesale clubs..

Huh... I know we did a cost spreadsheet when we started and saw that we were staying in that range. I don't think we had juice and coffee in that total. I guess I shouldn't have posted that, but I know we were close a few years ago when we first ran the numbers. I'll have to do it again now that y'all have me questioning it.
.

Ahhh.. no juice and coffee.
We pay $18 a pound for locally grown coffee. We do not serve juice unless it comes from a fresh fruit.
Truthfully, when I heard $2 a head, I thought biscuits and gravy with eggs. or white flour pancakes with eggs and farmer john link sausage. Not that I don't LOVE good biscuits and gravy, but we run in an entirely different direction. Maybe it isn't as far fetched as I thought when you are just counting the food portion, but could that include two rashers of bacon?
.

Ahhh.. no juice and coffee.
We pay $18 a pound for locally grown coffee. We do not serve juice unless it comes from a fresh fruit.
Truthfully, when I heard $2 a head, I thought biscuits and gravy with eggs. or white flour pancakes with eggs and farmer john link sausage. Not that I don't LOVE good biscuits and gravy, but we run in an entirely different direction. Maybe it isn't as far fetched as I thought when you are just counting the food portion, but could that include two rashers of bacon?

I tell my husband about you breakfast gourmets. I can't believe we get away with it, but people love our breakfasts and we only do scrambled eggs and store bought bacon or sausage. I want to try more exciting dishes and he says, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I love the idea of a very special breakfast, but we serve a very ordinary (but well presented) breakfast.
Anyway, we estimate between $5 and 10 per person per day.

 

[EmptyNest]

We boast of a southern country breakfast, no foo-foo stuff here. We have guests often tell us that we feed too much, but I'm not about to change what's been working. Our owner originally told us that he wanted food costs at $2 per person or below (three years ago when we took over). I've estimated we hover between that and $2.50 per person. We don't do buffet or fancy stuff, buy in bulk when things are on sale, buy some items from wholesale clubs..

LOL- You have got to win some kind of award for makin' it work for two bucks a head.
.

Yes, I really don't see how $2 a person for breakfast is possible...really? Maybe do some recalculating???

 

[gillumhouse]

We boast of a southern country breakfast, no foo-foo stuff here. We have guests often tell us that we feed too much, but I'm not about to change what's been working. Our owner originally told us that he wanted food costs at $2 per person or below (three years ago when we took over). I've estimated we hover between that and $2.50 per person. We don't do buffet or fancy stuff, buy in bulk when things are on sale, buy some items from wholesale clubs..

Huh... I know we did a cost spreadsheet when we started and saw that we were staying in that range. I don't think we had juice and coffee in that total. I guess I shouldn't have posted that, but I know we were close a few years ago when we first ran the numbers. I'll have to do it again now that y'all have me questioning it.
.

I can see that a few years ago being possible for $2 - $2.50 per - especially without juice or coffee. Juice is up to $3.75 a half gallon now for Premium and most of my non-citric juices are $4 to $5 per quart (yes - quart) and I serve both at every breakfast. I do not buy Kona coffee - last price I remember was $26 # for green coffee beans. Oahu and Maui were under $10 per pound. That is my max for green coffee beans. Had to buy a pound of Kona a few years ago when a guest chose Kona Blend, found myself with not enough and no Blend available - it was $18 for 1 pound of green beans then.
I am not a gourmet cook but I think I do a fair presentation and serve abundant quantities. No Haps, I figure 3-4 pieces of name-brand bacon per person. IF I have enough reservations on the books to use it up, I invest in a papaya (was $4 - last week found them to be $7). I use a lot of mango, kiwi, and berries. I discovered last week when I made some calls that I am the most expensive gig in the area. Woohoo! But my rates are still half what you get.
What we serve has to be in line with what it costs and what our rates are and our locations for what we can go out into the yard to get. And trust me - none of us use no-name stuff because you get what you pay for and no-name sausage is mostly gristle. I just started doing biscuits & gravy last summer - and it has been a hit. The butter in the biscuits and the sausage make that NOT a cheap breakfast either.
Do not worry Kay Nein, we know we each have different things available to cut costs or send them through the roof depending on the season. Everything has gone up but we forget the recalc sometimes. It falls into the "cost of doing business" if we want to stay in business.

 

[Generic]

Around here, a bagel will cost me 75c each. $3 for a carton of OJ. Milk is over. Over $1.25 a quart of milk. You people... have life good. You should see the mortgage forms to buy a pint of raspberries in the winter.

 

[happykeeper]

Around here, a bagel will cost me 75c each. $3 for a carton of OJ. Milk is over. Over $1.25 a quart of milk. You people... have life good. You should see the mortgage forms to buy a pint of raspberries in the winter..

Agreed. Papayas 3 for a buck can't be beat, but switch the channel to utility costs and we are the outlier on any graph. It's all relative.

 

[An Old Tavernkeeper]

We spend $2.75 or less per person per day during off season when rooms run $119 to $159 per night. But we spend almost $5 per person per day during peak season when room run $199 to $279 a night.
That includes early morning coffee and tea service and incidentals, like butter pats, sweet & low, etc.

 

[Morticia]

We spend $2.75 or less per person per day during off season when rooms run $119 to $159 per night. But we spend almost $5 per person per day during peak season when room run $199 to $279 a night.
That includes early morning coffee and tea service and incidentals, like butter pats, sweet & low, etc..

What does a typical breakfast look like? Do you buy only bulk food or is it local grown or what?
I'm amazed by these low food costs. Like others have said, just the fruit part of the breakfast is outrageous. I do know a lot of local inns have quit serving fruit unless it's a garnish. It's strictly baked goods and eggs.
Maybe we should look at that.
The not-quite-a-gallon-anymore juice is $7. I won't use that in one sitting but it will be gone after a couple of days.

 

[Lee2014]

We boast of a southern country breakfast, no foo-foo stuff here. We have guests often tell us that we feed too much, but I'm not about to change what's been working. Our owner originally told us that he wanted food costs at $2 per person or below (three years ago when we took over). I've estimated we hover between that and $2.50 per person. We don't do buffet or fancy stuff, buy in bulk when things are on sale, buy some items from wholesale clubs..

Huh... I know we did a cost spreadsheet when we started and saw that we were staying in that range. I don't think we had juice and coffee in that total. I guess I shouldn't have posted that, but I know we were close a few years ago when we first ran the numbers. I'll have to do it again now that y'all have me questioning it.
.

Huh... I know we did a cost spreadsheet when we started and saw that we were staying in that range. I don't think we had juice and coffee in that total. I guess I shouldn't have posted that, but I know we were close a few years ago when we first ran the numbers. I'll have to do it again now that y'all have me questioning it.

That March 30th gathering, I think you should do a presentation on breakfast!

 

[2cat_lady]

We boast of a southern country breakfast, no foo-foo stuff here. We have guests often tell us that we feed too much, but I'm not about to change what's been working. Our owner originally told us that he wanted food costs at $2 per person or below (three years ago when we took over). I've estimated we hover between that and $2.50 per person. We don't do buffet or fancy stuff, buy in bulk when things are on sale, buy some items from wholesale clubs..

$2?!? I have people who drink that much in coffee and juice! Add scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, garnish, fruit, yogurt, jam, butter, cream, milk, cereal and one person is way over that.
.

No kidding! Try living on an island that relies heavily on food brought over on ocean ferries that don't cross the Atlantic when the weather is rough ( think about why they might call the ferry landing the Wreckhouse!). Milk is just under $4 for 2 L--cheaper than soft drinks! Better in the warmer months when you can augment with locally grown, pick your own wild berries, and your husband's hobby is making homemade sausage. Seriously thinking of a few chickens this summer and definitely a garden going in. But what are you supposed to do? If you want to stand out then you need to bite the bullet and just hustle harder. That's why we don't hire outside help. We only pay ourselves.

 

[charlie may]

Re-cost of juice. This is a cheap and good juice recipe. My kids were raised on it as straight orange juice was too expensive then and still is. Breakfast drink: 1- 12 oz. frozen can orange juice--thawed. 1- 12 oz. frozen can lemonade--thawed, and one package cool aid, any flavor but grape. Put in gallon jug or 4 liter jug and fill with water. Can add one-half cup sugar but I never do. Not sure how much that is per serving but it goes a long way. Guests often ask for the recipe. It is not bad with vodka either.
.

 

[sachi3679]

We spend $2.75 or less per person per day during off season when rooms run $119 to $159 per night. But we spend almost $5 per person per day during peak season when room run $199 to $279 a night.
That includes early morning coffee and tea service and incidentals, like butter pats, sweet & low, etc..

What does a typical breakfast look like? Do you buy only bulk food or is it local grown or what?
I'm amazed by these low food costs. Like others have said, just the fruit part of the breakfast is outrageous. I do know a lot of local inns have quit serving fruit unless it's a garnish. It's strictly baked goods and eggs.
Maybe we should look at that.
The not-quite-a-gallon-anymore juice is $7. I won't use that in one sitting but it will be gone after a couple of days.
.

Just curious because I have always worked in good service where we deal in food cost percentage, do you break the cost down? Like, if eggs are $3 for 18, and you make three egg omlettes, you spend $0.50 per person in eggs. Or do you just take your grocery bill and figure, I spent $100 and made breakfast for ten people? Because speaking from a food cost perspective, $2-3 per person sounds very reasonable for a single course. Breakfasts are typically much lower cost, around 20-25%, so I would expect an egg/bacon/potato type meal ($8 or so) to cost a restaurant between 1.50-2.00. Granted they are usually paying less for raw ingredients, but still. And I know a lot of you do courses and "fancier" breakfasts, just curious about how you figure your costs.

 

[Morticia]

We spend $2.75 or less per person per day during off season when rooms run $119 to $159 per night. But we spend almost $5 per person per day during peak season when room run $199 to $279 a night.
That includes early morning coffee and tea service and incidentals, like butter pats, sweet & low, etc..

What does a typical breakfast look like? Do you buy only bulk food or is it local grown or what?
I'm amazed by these low food costs. Like others have said, just the fruit part of the breakfast is outrageous. I do know a lot of local inns have quit serving fruit unless it's a garnish. It's strictly baked goods and eggs.
Maybe we should look at that.
The not-quite-a-gallon-anymore juice is $7. I won't use that in one sitting but it will be gone after a couple of days.
.

Just curious because I have always worked in good service where we deal in food cost percentage, do you break the cost down? Like, if eggs are $3 for 18, and you make three egg omlettes, you spend $0.50 per person in eggs. Or do you just take your grocery bill and figure, I spent $100 and made breakfast for ten people? Because speaking from a food cost perspective, $2-3 per person sounds very reasonable for a single course. Breakfasts are typically much lower cost, around 20-25%, so I would expect an egg/bacon/potato type meal ($8 or so) to cost a restaurant between 1.50-2.00. Granted they are usually paying less for raw ingredients, but still. And I know a lot of you do courses and "fancier" breakfasts, just curious about how you figure your costs.
.

We're more the 'spent $x divided by # of guests' calculators.
So, 2 juices, milk, cream, 1 lb of coffee, a couple of tea bags, hot cocoa, scones, 3 dozen eggs, 2 lbs bacon, 1 lb spinach, 1 lb cheese, 1 jar jam, apples, flour, sugar is around $40. 11 guests. Just under $4/each. (I rounded things like jam, I had 3 different kinds going this morning. 3 guests drank 1 bottle of juice among them. Things like that.)
Some guests added cereal. Some drank an entire pot of coffee themselves and then hit the single serve coffee right after breakfast. Some took scones for the road. Then raided the candy dish.

 

[gillumhouse]

Re-cost of juice. This is a cheap and good juice recipe. My kids were raised on it as straight orange juice was too expensive then and still is. Breakfast drink: 1- 12 oz. frozen can orange juice--thawed. 1- 12 oz. frozen can lemonade--thawed, and one package cool aid, any flavor but grape. Put in gallon jug or 4 liter jug and fill with water. Can add one-half cup sugar but I never do. Not sure how much that is per serving but it goes a long way. Guests often ask for the recipe. It is not bad with vodka either.
..

Re-cost of juice. This is a cheap and good juice recipe. My kids were raised on it as straight orange juice was too expensive then and still is. Breakfast drink: 1- 12 oz. frozen can orange juice--thawed. 1- 12 oz. frozen can lemonade--thawed, and one package cool aid, any flavor but grape. Put in gallon jug or 4 liter jug and fill with water. Can add one-half cup sugar but I never do. Not sure how much that is per serving but it goes a long way. Guests often ask for the recipe. It is not bad with vodka either.

I thought about the not premium wondering if guests could tell the difference - then one morning I overheard a guest exclaim to her breakfast companions - "It's real orange juice." I have never wavered since. What was good enough for my kids (6 of them) is not good enough for guests who are paying for their breakfast as part of the room rate.

 

[Generic]

Re-cost of juice. This is a cheap and good juice recipe. My kids were raised on it as straight orange juice was too expensive then and still is. Breakfast drink: 1- 12 oz. frozen can orange juice--thawed. 1- 12 oz. frozen can lemonade--thawed, and one package cool aid, any flavor but grape. Put in gallon jug or 4 liter jug and fill with water. Can add one-half cup sugar but I never do. Not sure how much that is per serving but it goes a long way. Guests often ask for the recipe. It is not bad with vodka either.
..

Re-cost of juice. This is a cheap and good juice recipe. My kids were raised on it as straight orange juice was too expensive then and still is. Breakfast drink: 1- 12 oz. frozen can orange juice--thawed. 1- 12 oz. frozen can lemonade--thawed, and one package cool aid, any flavor but grape. Put in gallon jug or 4 liter jug and fill with water. Can add one-half cup sugar but I never do. Not sure how much that is per serving but it goes a long way. Guests often ask for the recipe. It is not bad with vodka either.

I thought about the not premium wondering if guests could tell the difference - then one morning I overheard a guest exclaim to her breakfast companions - "It's real orange juice." I have never wavered since. What was good enough for my kids (6 of them) is not good enough for guests who are paying for their breakfast as part of the room rate.
.

Did you see this story?
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episodes/2014-2015/orange-juice-juicy-secrets

 

[April]

Re-cost of juice. This is a cheap and good juice recipe. My kids were raised on it as straight orange juice was too expensive then and still is. Breakfast drink: 1- 12 oz. frozen can orange juice--thawed. 1- 12 oz. frozen can lemonade--thawed, and one package cool aid, any flavor but grape. Put in gallon jug or 4 liter jug and fill with water. Can add one-half cup sugar but I never do. Not sure how much that is per serving but it goes a long way. Guests often ask for the recipe. It is not bad with vodka either.
..

Re-cost of juice. This is a cheap and good juice recipe. My kids were raised on it as straight orange juice was too expensive then and still is. Breakfast drink: 1- 12 oz. frozen can orange juice--thawed. 1- 12 oz. frozen can lemonade--thawed, and one package cool aid, any flavor but grape. Put in gallon jug or 4 liter jug and fill with water. Can add one-half cup sugar but I never do. Not sure how much that is per serving but it goes a long way. Guests often ask for the recipe. It is not bad with vodka either.

I thought about the not premium wondering if guests could tell the difference - then one morning I overheard a guest exclaim to her breakfast companions - "It's real orange juice." I have never wavered since. What was good enough for my kids (6 of them) is not good enough for guests who are paying for their breakfast as part of the room rate.
.

Did you see this story?
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/episodes/2014-2015/orange-juice-juicy-secrets
.

Yes, will never ever drink orange juice unless I make it fresh