Ordinami.itIn European restaurants, prices are often set by looking at what the competition is charging, adding or subtracting a euro, and hoping for the best. This approach works until costs change; when they do, margins evaporate without anyone noticing. A serious method requires a calculator and an afternoon, and it involves five steps.
Step 1: Calculate the food cost of the dish
Weigh the ingredients of a serving and value them at their real purchase prices, including waste: if you serve 600 grams from a kilogram of fish, the cost should be calculated based on the kilogram. This is the step that almost no one takes, and it changes everything: without the food cost per dish, any discussion of prices is pointless.
Step 2: Apply the multiplier, but think about it
The classic rule says: price = food cost x 3 or 4, so ingredients account for between 25% and 33%. This is a starting point, not a dogma: for a pasta dish, the multiplier can be more generous, for a high-quality steak more restrictive, because the customer compares the absolute price, not your percentages. Also, look at the margin in euros: it's better to sell a dish with a 40% food cost that leaves you with 12 euros than one with a 25% food cost that leaves you with 6 euros.
Step 3: Compare yourself to the market, the right way
Competitors' prices don't tell you what you should charge: they tell you what customers in the area expect to pay. If your dish costs more, the difference should be explained in the menu — origin, technique, portion — because customers willingly pay what they understand. Check the menus in your area twice a year: they change more often than you think.
Step 4: Refine with rounding
Final figures communicate positioning: round prices for mid-range and high-end restaurants, .90 for budget formats. And avoid a column of prices with dots, which invites customers to choose based on the lowest number.
Step 5: Verify with data and adjust
The right price is confirmed by sales: if the re-priced dish continues to sell, the new margin is earned; if it collapses, correct it. That's why you need to know what's really selling, dish by dish — with a digital menu with orders and statistics, like Ordinami in the PRO plan, you'll find the dish ranking in the panel instead of reconstructing it from receipts.
How often to review prices
At least twice a year, plus an extraordinary check when a key ingredient surges. Better to make small, frequent adjustments than a large annual increase that customers notice and comment on. And on digital platforms, adjustments take just a minute from the panel: the excuse of reprinting menus no longer applies. When you increase prices, take care of implicit communication: an enriched description or improved presentation accompany the increase better than any justification, because they shift attention from the number to the dish.