Pricing Assistant v1
The complete toolkit for restaurant menu engineering. Calculate true costs with weighted labor tiers, allocate overhead precisely, run what-if scenarios, and make data-driven pricing decisions — all in one place.
Live Results Dashboard
Based on your inputs, Pricing Assistant calculates in real-time:
The Challenge of Restaurant Pricing
Most restaurants leave money on the table
Without precise costing, you're either undercharging (losing profit) or overcharging (losing customers). The real challenge? Every menu item has hidden costs that are difficult to track:
- • Waste — trim, spoilage, over-preparation
- • Labor — different roles at different wages
- • Overhead — how much of your rent goes into each burger?
- • Competitor positioning — where do you fit in the market?
Pricing Assistant solves this
Instead of spreadsheets and guesswork, you get a purpose-built tool that handles the complexity so you can focus on running your restaurant.
Everything you need for menu engineering
Built from the ground up for restaurants, juice bars, and food service businesses.
Weighted Labor Tiers
Different roles earn different wages. A manager's time costs more than a dishwasher's. Pricing Assistant calculates the weighted average based on hours per week — so your labor cost reflects reality.
Overhead Allocation
Track every expense: rent, insurance, utilities, POS fees, marketing — even cleaning supplies. Pricing Assistant allocates a fair share to each menu item based on your monthly volume.
Waste Tracking
Set waste percentages per ingredient (trim, spoilage, over-preparation). Or use global defaults. Pricing Assistant calculates the actual cost of waste per item.
What-if Scenarios
Test changes before they happen: ingredient price hikes, labor cost increases, overhead changes, volume fluctuations. See the impact on your prices instantly.
Competitor Analysis
Track up to 3 competitor prices per item. See the min, max, and average — and how your recommended price compares to the market.
Batch Labor Calculator
Enter prep time and batch yield — Pricing Assistant calculates labor minutes per item automatically. No more manual estimates.
Strategic pricing starts here
🎯 Run discounts without losing money
Know your exact floor price before running any promotion. Pricing Assistant shows you the minimum price that covers all costs — so you can discount confidently without eroding margin.
Example: Happy hour 20% off on burgers. Your true cost is $8.42, so $9.99 keeps you profitable. Anything below $8.42 loses money.
⚖️ Identify loss leaders strategically
Sometimes you need to price below cost to drive traffic. Pricing Assistant shows you exactly how much subsidy you're providing, so you can track whether the cross-sell makes up for it.
Example: Price wings at $6.99 (cost $8.50) — you lose $1.51 per order. But if 80% of wing buyers order drinks ($5 profit), you win.
📈 Menu engineering made simple
See profit margins per item, compare current vs. recommended prices, and make data-driven decisions about your menu mix.
💾 Save restaurant cost structures
Save your labor tiers and overhead breakdown once. Apply them to any menu item instantly. Perfect for building out full menus.
How Pricing Assistant fits into your toolkit
Different tools serve different purposes. Here's where Pricing Assistant excels.
| QuickBooks | Excel / Spreadsheets | Pricing Assistant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Accounting, payroll, financial reporting | Flexible data analysis, custom calculations | Restaurant menu pricing & cost analysis |
| Waste tracking | — | Manual setup | ✓ Per ingredient with global defaults |
| Weighted labor tiers | — | Complex formulas | ✓ Built-in with hours/week weighting |
| Overhead allocation | Total overhead only | Manual allocation | ✓ Per-item based on monthly volume |
| What-if scenarios | — | ✓ With manual setup | ✓ One-click ingredient, labor, overhead scenarios |
| Competitor pricing | — | Manual tracking | ✓ Track up to 3 competitors per item |
| Menu management | — | Manual spreadsheets | ✓ Save, load, export full menus |
| Batch labor calculator | — | Manual formulas | ✓ Prep time + yield = minutes per item |
QuickBooks gives you a clear picture of your restaurant's financial health — invaluable for taxes, payroll, and overall business management.
Excel is incredibly flexible and powerful — you can build anything, but it requires time, expertise, and constant maintenance to avoid errors.
Pricing Assistant is purpose-built for one thing: helping you price your menu items accurately and strategically. It doesn't replace your accounting software — it works alongside it.
All the tools in one place
Trusted by restaurant owners
Take control of your menu pricing
Stop guessing. Start knowing exactly what each item costs — and price with confidence.
Subscription access is coming soon through the Faraj Software Solutions client portal.
Support
Questions before buying? Need help with a specific feature? We're here to help.