Is there a rule of thumb for figuring costs for a food budget?

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The Farmers Daughter

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I am given an operating budget with a monthly allotment targeted for food costs which I can never seem to meet.
How would you figure food costs for a 6 room establishment?
 
A monthly budget? How do you know how many guests you will have in a month? They come last minute!
 
I'm afraid I'm in the more questions than answers category also.
Without any idea of how elaborate or "gourmet" you're breakfasts, available snacks or other refreshments are, it could be 10% on the very low end, or near 20% on the high end if you offer quite a bit of food based amenities.
Ours seems to be in the middle somewhere. We're offering a full multi-course, restaurant style breakfast, lots of baked goodies, an afternoon snack, self-serve beverages in the form of teas, coffees, lemonades, sodas, bubble waters, bottled waters in rooms, etc.
We use mostly organics, lots of local produce, quality meats, real maple syrup, etc... and the much better half and her 30+ years of restaurant/food service management experience seems to be happy with our food costs.
So, based on info you gave on the other "pissy" guest thread, there are like half a dozen owners invested in a 6 room B&B?
Unless you are located in the highest occupancy market in the country and your rooms are $300 per night, how is this venture supporting the financial requirements of all those people?
 
I'm afraid I'm in the more questions than answers category also.
Without any idea of how elaborate or "gourmet" you're breakfasts, available snacks or other refreshments are, it could be 10% on the very low end, or near 20% on the high end if you offer quite a bit of food based amenities.
Ours seems to be in the middle somewhere. We're offering a full multi-course, restaurant style breakfast, lots of baked goodies, an afternoon snack, self-serve beverages in the form of teas, coffees, lemonades, sodas, bubble waters, bottled waters in rooms, etc.
We use mostly organics, lots of local produce, quality meats, real maple syrup, etc... and the much better half and her 30+ years of restaurant/food service management experience seems to be happy with our food costs.
So, based on info you gave on the other "pissy" guest thread, there are like half a dozen owners invested in a 6 room B&B?
Unless you are located in the highest occupancy market in the country and your rooms are $300 per night, how is this venture supporting the financial requirements of all those people?.
Tim_Toad_HLB said:
I'm afraid I'm in the more questions than answers category also.
Without any idea of how elaborate or "gourmet" you're breakfasts, available snacks or other refreshments are, it could be 10% on the very low end, or near 20% on the high end if you offer quite a bit of food based amenities.
Ours seems to be in the middle somewhere. We're offering a full multi-course, restaurant style breakfast, lots of baked goodies, an afternoon snack, self-serve beverages in the form of teas, coffees, lemonades, sodas, bubble waters, bottled waters in rooms, etc.
We use mostly organics, lots of local produce, quality meats, real maple syrup, etc... and the much better half and her 30+ years of restaurant/food service management experience seems to be happy with our food costs.
So, based on info you gave on the other "pissy" guest thread, there are like half a dozen owners invested in a 6 room B&B?
We are a group of 4. Our rates range from $155 - $300 p/n. We are within a 1 hour drive of Manhattan and do have a fairly high occupancy rate. Supporting? no...but supplimenting, yes.
Unless you are located in the highest occupancy market in the country and your rooms are $300 per night, how is this venture supporting the financial requirements of all those people?
 
Is it a fixed amount or a % of the revenue?.
Bree said:
Is it a fixed amount or a % of the revenue?
Its a fixed amount.
.
The Farmers Daughter said:
Bree said:
Is it a fixed amount or a % of the revenue?
Its a fixed amount.
How has it been working so far? Are you able to buy your food items in bulk (like I'm guessing your restauranteur is able to)? Do you have ample storage space to keep fresh foods on hand? Are you having trouble making do with the allotment for food? Does the fixed amount vary seasonally or is it just $x no matter the season?
Just read your other response...are your guests expecting high-end gourmet given your location?
 
Is it a fixed amount or a % of the revenue?.
Bree said:
Is it a fixed amount or a % of the revenue?
Its a fixed amount.
.
[/quote]
Its a fixed amount.
[/quote]
So on months when revenues are less than whatever the "average" the amount was based on, does the allotment carry over into the next month?
How much waste is there?
Who determined the amount and what is it based on? Previous owners records, a few years of tracking food costs in relation to revenue, etc.?
 
Since you are already up and running, (as opposed to planning) why not just keep track of breakfast expenses for a week or month or whatever, then divide by the number of roomnights booked for that same period. That will give you a cost per roomnight which seems to be the most accurate way to budget for the future.
If the powers that be balk at that idea, tell them if they want you to stick to your predefined allocation, then you will need to start turning down reservations...that will snap them back into reality. ;)
 
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