ChefExpenses

What ChefExpenses is

ChefExpenses is a browser-based recipe and menu costing application for restaurants. It combines ingredients and base recipes to calculate dish costs, food cost percentages, and margins, accounting for yields. When ingredient prices change, the application can update affected recipes; ingredient price histories also help show how dish costs and margins have shifted. For menu analysis, ChefExpenses can cross sales with current costs and group dishes into Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles, and Dogs. Menu profitability analysis is included from the Restaurant plan. The service also provides nutrition and allergen data from BEDCA, Open Food Facts, and its chef community, with barcode lookup for commercial products. Establishments remain responsible for allergen compliance and are instructed to check details against the product label before serving. ChefExpenses runs in a browser on computers, tablets, and phones, without installation, and synchronizes data across devices and the team. A free plan is available, with the Chef plan listed at €10 a month and Restaurant at €25 a month. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled, and digital subscriptions have a 14-day withdrawal period. Email support is available during business hours Monday to Friday; the terms guarantee 99% uptime except for force majeure.

Who it suits

ChefExpenses suits restaurant professionals who want to calculate recipe costs, monitor ingredient price changes, and assess dish margins. Restaurant groups may find the multi-location support useful, while the listed plans distinguish single-user, team, and multi-restaurant needs.

Limits

The free Cook plan provides one user, one restaurant, 500+ preloaded ingredients, 10 base recipes, five finished recipes, one menu, and one main menu. Menu profitability analysis is included from the Restaurant plan.

Getting started

1. Open the ChefExpenses website in a browser on a computer, tablet, or phone.
2. Register for the free Cook plan or select a paid plan.
3. Add ingredients and base recipes, then create finished recipes and menus within the plan limits.
4. Use current ingredient prices to calculate recipe costs and margins.
5. Verify allergen information against the actual product label before serving.

Verdict

Choose ChefExpenses if you need browser-based recipe costing, ingredient price tracking, and tools for reviewing menu profitability. The free Cook plan has recipe and user limits, while menu profitability analysis starts with the Restaurant plan; allergen compliance remains the establishment’s responsibility.