CPCE cheat sheet

Banquet Event Order (BEO): the internal execution document listing date, room, setup, menu, service times, staffing, AV, and billing; every operating department works from it.

Guarantee rule: the client confirms a final count, commonly 72 business hours before the event; the house sets for and bills the greater of the guarantee or actual attendance.

Plated dinner staffing: roughly one server per 10-15 guests; buffets need fewer servers plus one attendant per buffet line.

Bar staffing: plan about one bartender per 75-100 guests for beer and wine service, with fewer guests per bartender for full mixed-drink bars.

Seating: a 60-inch round seats 8; a 72-inch round seats 10-12; allow about 10-12 square feet per guest for rounds and 6-8 square feet for standing receptions.

Dance floor: plan about 3 square feet per dancing guest and assume only 40-50 percent of attendees dance.

Service styles: American (plated, served and cleared from the guest's right), French (tableside from a gueridon), Russian (platters presented, then plated), family, buffet, and butler-passed.

Schedule backward from guest arrival: subtract course service, plating, setup, and load-in durations to set staff call times and vendor delivery windows.

ADR (average daily rate) = room revenue divided by rooms sold.

RevPAR = ADR multiplied by occupancy percentage, which equals room revenue divided by rooms available.

Cost per lead = total campaign spend divided by leads generated; compare prospecting channels on this basis.

Conversion rate = bookings closed divided by qualified leads, multiplied by 100.

ROI = (net gain from campaign minus campaign cost) divided by campaign cost, multiplied by 100.

Marketing mix: product, price, place, promotion (the four Ps).

Space-to-F&B minimum: hotels commonly set a minimum food and beverage spend per square foot of function space before releasing a room.

Upselling additions such as hosted bar packages, action stations, or upgraded linens raise the average check without adding new clients.

Food cost percentage = cost of food sold divided by food sales.

Beverage cost percentage = cost of beverage sold divided by beverage sales.

Labor cost percentage = total labor cost divided by total revenue.

Prime cost = food cost + beverage cost + labor cost, usually expressed as a percentage of total sales.

Cost of goods sold = beginning inventory + purchases during the period - ending inventory.

Break-even in units = fixed costs divided by (unit selling price - unit variable cost).

Break-even in sales dollars = fixed costs divided by the contribution margin ratio.

Pricing multiplier = 1 divided by target cost percentage; a 25 percent target food cost means a multiplier of 4 applied to portion cost.

Markup on cost = margin divided by (1 - margin); a 20 percent margin equals a 25 percent markup on cost.

Turnover rate = separations during the period divided by average headcount, multiplied by 100.

Absenteeism rate = days absent divided by (number of employees multiplied by scheduled workdays), multiplied by 100.

FTE (full-time equivalent) = total paid hours divided by standard full-time hours for the same period.

Cost per hire = total recruiting cost divided by number of hires.

FLSA: non-exempt employees earn 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek; exempt salaried employees meeting salary and duties tests do not.

Sequence: job analysis produces the job description (duties), which produces the job specification (qualifications).

Kirkpatrick training evaluation levels: reaction, learning, behavior, results.

Structured interviews ask every candidate the same core questions scored on a common rating scale, reducing bias and improving defensibility.

Temperature danger zone: 41F to 135F (5C to 57C).

Two-stage cooling: 135F down to 70F within 2 hours, then 70F down to 41F within 4 more hours, 6 hours total.

Reheating for hot holding: 165F for 15 seconds within 2 hours.

Yield percentage = edible portion weight divided by as-purchased weight, multiplied by 100.

Edible portion cost per unit = as-purchased cost per unit divided by yield percentage.

Portion cost = total recipe cost divided by number of portions; recipe cost is the sum of ingredient quantity multiplied by unit cost.

FIFO: store new deliveries behind older stock and use the oldest product first.

Major US allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, sesame.

HACCP seven principles: conduct hazard analysis, determine critical control points, set critical limits, monitor, take corrective actions, verify, keep records.

Contract elements: offer, acceptance, consideration, legality of purpose, capacity of the parties.

Negligence elements: duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and actual damages; all four must be shown.

Dram shop liability: exposure for serving alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person or to a minor.

Force majeure: excuses or delays performance for unforeseeable events beyond control; the clause should specify notice duties and deposit-refund terms.

Indemnification and hold-harmless clauses shift responsibility for specified losses or claims onto one party.

Certificates of insurance: require vendors to carry liability coverage and name the venue as an additional insured.

ADA: provide accessible routes, accessible seating dispersed throughout the room, and effective communication for guests with disabilities.

Fire code: posted occupancy loads and exit widths cannot be exceeded, and exits may never be blocked by tables, staging, or storage.

Alcohol service: minimum age 21 in the US; verify identification, refuse service to intoxicated guests, and document refusals.