Seer Fish Fry: Yield, Portion Cost and Menu Price
A 60-cover restaurant in Madurai sells seer fish fry at ₹320 including 5% GST. The chef buys whole seer fish at ₹480/kg. Last week 12 kg was purchased; after cleaning, skinning and boning, 8.16 kg of usable fillet remained. Each plate is served with 180 g of raw fillet, plus marinade and frying oil costing ₹14 and ₹9 per plate respectively. The restaurant's target food cost is 32% of net selling price (excluding GST). The owner thinks the dish is profitable because 'fish is a premium item'. The purchase register shows that the same fish was bought at ₹420/kg two months ago. Staff have been cutting 200–220 g portions 'to look generous' during busy service. The menu card has not changed. Fixed costs are ₹3.2 lakh per month and the restaurant sells about 900 plates of this dish monthly.
1. Calculate the edible yield, number of 180 g portions, food cost per plate, food cost percentage and the price needed to meet the 32% target. Show your working.
Read the worked answer
- Edible yield = 8.16 kg ÷ 12 kg = 68%.
- Portions at 180 g = 8,160 g ÷ 180 g = 45.33, so 45 whole plates (the remainder is trim or a small extra).
- Fish cost per plate = ₹5,760 ÷ 45 = ₹128.00.
- Total food cost per plate = ₹128 + ₹14 marinade + ₹9 oil = ₹151.00.
- Net selling price = ₹320 ÷ 1.05 = ₹304.76.
- Food cost % = (151 ÷ 304.76) × 100 = 49.5%, far above the 32% target.
- Required net price = 151 ÷ 0.32 = ₹471.88; gross menu price = 471.88 × 1.05 = ₹495.47, say ₹495.
At ₹320 the dish returns only ₹153.76 per plate before other variable costs. The owner is confusing a premium image with a premium margin. If staff serve 200 g, portions fall to about 40 and food cost rises above 54%, making the position worse.
2. The owner wants to keep the ₹320 price. Evaluate two options-reducing the portion to 140 g or renegotiating the purchase price to ₹420/kg-with calculations, and recommend one.
Read the worked answer
Option A: 140 g portion. Portions = 8,160 ÷ 140 = 58.28, so 58 plates. Fish cost = ₹5,760 ÷ 58 = ₹99.31; add ₹23 = ₹122.31. At ₹320 gross (₹304.76 net), food cost = 40.1%, still above 32%. To hit 32% at 140 g, net price = 122.31 ÷ 0.32 = ₹382.22; gross = ₹401.33. A portion cut alone does not meet the target at ₹320.
Option B: fish at ₹420/kg, 180 g portion. Fish cost = 12 × 420 = ₹5,040; per plate = ₹5,040 ÷ 45 = ₹112; add ₹23 = ₹135. At ₹304.76 net, food cost = 44.3%; required net = 135 ÷ 0.32 = ₹421.88; gross = ₹443.
Even at ₹420/kg, the 32% target needs a price above ₹320. Recommendation: raise the menu price to about ₹495 for a 180 g portion, or re-engineer with a lower-cost fish for the everyday menu and keep seer fish as a premium item at ₹495. Reducing the portion alone is the weakest option because it still misses 32% and invites complaints.
3. What control records should be introduced to stop 200–220 g portions and repeated price shocks?
Read the worked answer
Introduce a standard recipe card specifying 180 g raw fish per portion, a digital scale at the fish station, and a yield-test log for every purchase. Weigh 10 random fillets during service; if the mean exceeds 185 g, stop and retrain.
Record purchase weight, cleaned weight and number of portions for each 12 kg lot; calculate yield weekly against the 68% standard. Reconcile plates sold with portions produced: 45 plates per 12 kg lot; a variance above 3% needs a written explanation.
Set a price-review trigger: when the purchase price moves more than 10%, review the menu price. The ₹420 to ₹480 move was 14% and should have triggered a review. Give the chef a daily food-cost report, not a monthly one, and make portion control part of the supervisor's checklist. Keep purchase invoices, yield tests and portion-check sheets for at least three months.