Take our Classes or Hire Me as a Chef Consultant!
Looking for some professional kitchen management advice or chef consultation? I offer video conferencing consultation and classes for any of the topics posted on this site including: improving your food cost control, period end inventory-finding errors & improving your numbers, Excel tutorials for chefs/kitchen managers, kitchen/event organizational skills, plate cost, prep sheets, P&L meetings, budget meetings, asshole higher management tactics, etc. My fee is $60 an hour broken down into 15 minute segments of $15 so it’s easy to manage the cost depending upon the amount of time required to help.
All purchases are made through PayPal invoicing which allows you to use a variety of payment methods including visa, mastercard, discover card, bank transfer, etc.
Contact me for consultant info
Excel Tutorials
As a Chef I have found Excel to be an indispensable tool. It helps me plan, organize, verify inventory, check food cost and much more. If you would like to learn how to use Excel to create your own schedules, prep sheets, ordering sheets, check inventory and food cost, event planning, recipes, or other tasks, contact me and we will work out a tutorial schedule and fee. Be sure to check out the Excel sheets I have posted on the site and come prepared with an idea of what you would like to learn.
I use an online service called Zoom which will allow us to setup a free conference call via computers and share my computer screen for the tutorial.
Alternately, if you need a custom form created or just modifications made to an existing form, you can let me do the work for you. Contact me & send the form via email, tell me what exactly you would like, and I’ll give you a bid on how much I would charge to create it for you. Prices start at $15 and increase based upon time needed.
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Exclusive Video Tutorial Library Access – Platinum or Corporate Subscription required |
Classes & Tutorials
Below are a variety of classes/tutorials. Discounts are available for multiple sessions. All classes are held via Zoom which is a free to use video conferencing application which allows us to meet online from the comfort of our own homes, making it easier to squeeze classes into our busy schedules.
Food Cost Management Courses
Forty Thieves of Food Cost: Overview
This course is an overview of the 9 major food cost control challenge areas with a brief look at the 57 sub-categories which need to be controlled in order to be successful in managing food cost in any operation.
Format: PowerPoint presentation via Zoom video conferencing
Take Aways: Forty Thieves of Food Cost PDF
Cost: $60 for live online class with Chef David
Time Commitment: 40 – 60 minutes
Schedule a class with Chef David
Prefer to watch the Forty Thieves video (53 minutes long) instead of scheduling a class?
Cost: Platinum Membership gives access to all videos in our exclusive Video Tutorial Library
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Section 1: Purchasing Practices for Food Cost Control Success
This course is a sub-section of the Forty Thieves of Food Cost class. In it we will dive into purchasing control standards which will help improve your food cost.
Format: PowerPoint presentation via Zoom video conferencing
Take Aways: Purchasing Practices for Food Cost Control PDF, Excel Vendor Bid Sheet (does not include Microsoft Excel)
Cost: $45
Time Commitment: 30 – 40 minutes
Schedule a class with Chef David
Section 3: Prep & Production Best Practices
In this course sub-section of the Forty Thieves of Food Cost class we will dig into the best practices for Prep & Production, examining how to control food cost via standard kitchen procedures, prep sheets, proper cooking methods -vs- shrinkage, proper trim -vs- excessive waste, and more.
Format: PowerPoint presentation via Zoom video conferencing
Take Aways: Prep & Production Best Practices PDF, Excel Prep Sheets, Excel Butchering Logs, Kitchen Station Task List, (does not include Microsoft Excel)
Cost: $60
Time Commitment: 30 – 40 minutes
Schedule a class with Chef David
Section 5: How Proper Kitchen Service Standards Improve Food Cost Control
This course is a sub-section of the Forty Thieves of Food Cost class. In it we look at kitchen control standards during service and how good kitchen SOPs (standard operating procedures) improve your food cost.
Format: PowerPoint presentation via Zoom video conferencing
Take Aways: Proper Kitchen Service Standards Improve Food Cost Control PDF, Excel Food Cooling Logs, Excel Prep Sheet templates (does not include Microsoft Excel)
Cost: $20
Time Commitment: 15 – 30 minutes
Schedule a class with Chef David
Sales Mix, Margin and Food Cost % Video Session
The food cost % myth
Standard food cost evaluation by itself is an inadequate measure of restaurant health. Sometimes a high food cost percentage is unavoidable. Sometimes a high food cost is actually a good thing. In this video I explain the interconnectedness of your menu sales mix and food cost %. I explain with clear examples why a high food cost may be unavoidable. And I show examples of when a high food cost may actually be a good thing for the financial health of your restaurant.
If you are a Chef or manager and have not learned how sales mix impacts your food cost percentage then I highly recommend this video class. It will give you new ammo to bring to your P&L meetings, and new insights about how to manage your business.
Format: Video (9:37)
Take Aways: Access to Sales Mix, Margin & Food Cost % video class
Cost: Platinum Membership gives access to all videos in our exclusive Video Tutorial Library.
Access Video Library
Calculate Recipe and/or Plate Cost Tutorial
How to Calculate Plate or Recipe Cost
In this course we will examine 6 different Excel recipe templates for determining recipe/plate cost. Some are designed more for kitchen use while others are designed for both kitchen use as well as food cost & margin analysis. One also incorporates basic allergen alerts in the header of the recipe. We will also cover how to use Excel formulas to scale these recipes for larger or smaller batches. You must have Excel in order to use the forms. You must have Microsoft Excel to be able to participate in this class.
Format: PowerPoint Presentation of 6 Excel Recipe templates via Zoom video conferencing plus view my screen for Excel live demos.
Take Aways: 7 different Excel recipe templates (does not include Microsoft Excel)
Cost: $60
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Schedule a class with Chef David
Inventory Control Classes
The following courses focus on the best practices for managing your food inventory, organizing inventory, finding & fixing problems, and thereby helping to improve your food cost percentage and P&L meetings.
Section 1: How to Take Inventory – Best Practices
In this sub-section of the Inventory Control classes we discuss the best practices for taking inventory including shelf to sheet -vs- sheet to shelf methods, tracking credits, transfers and marketing credits. We will also examine common questions such as is it best to count by case, each, pound, or some other unit of measure. Finally, we will discuss 4 steps to take after you have finished taking inventory before you turn it in as final.
Format: PowerPoint presentation via Zoom video conferencing
Take Aways: How to Take Inventory PDF, Excel Transfer Sheet, Excel Credit Tracker (MS Excel not included)
Cost: $30
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Schedule a class with Chef David
Section 2: Verify Inventory Balance Sheets Before Closing!
After you take inventory either you or someone else will enter it into whatever software your company uses to calculate your total food inventory. Some companies use Excel while others use some sort of inventory software program. Regardless of the tool used it is imperative that you review and validate this form before it is turned into accounting as your final month end inventory numbers! Every month I find hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars in errors! I will show you examples of how to review cost extensions, item quantity extremes, zero sum errors and more.
Format: PowerPoint presentation via Zoom video conferencing
Take Aways: How to Verify Inventory Balance Sheets PDF
Cost: $45
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Schedule a class with Chef David
Order the Video Instead – $25
Don’t want the one on one class but would rather purchase a 20 minute video version of Inventory Control Section 2: Verify Inventory Balance Sheets Before Closing? Use the Schedule a Class with Chef David link and specify which video you want to purchase. I’ll send you a PayPal invoice and after I receive payment I’ll send you the video.
Section 3: Food Cost & Inventory Calculation Spreadsheet
In this final section of the Inventory Control classes we examine the use of our Food Cost & Inventory Calculation File. This Excel spreadsheet gives you an at a glance view of what your food cost should be at for the period. You enter your beginning inventory, ending inventory, purchases, transfers & credits, and your food sales. The form then calculates your food cost %, your inventory turns, comparisons of last month’s inventory (broken down by your separate storage areas…dry storage, meat cooler, etc.), and how much 1 point of inventory is. This form gives you the chance to “get ahead of the ball” if things are either bad or look too good to be true.
You need to already own Microsoft Excel in order to use this sheet!
Format: PowerPoint presentation via Zoom video conferencing
Take Aways: Food Cost Calculation Spreadsheet PDF, download of the Excel Food Cost Calculation Spreadsheet (Excel not included!)
Cost: $45
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Schedule a class with Chef David
Prefer to watch the Restaurant Inventory Control 2 part video (47 minutes long total) instead of scheduling a class?
Cost: Platinum Membership gives access to all videos in our exclusive Video Tutorial Library
Access Video Library
P&L Meeting Preparation for Chefs
If you want consultation on how to prepare for and handle your P&L meetings then Schedule a class to set up a date and time. Or you can watch the 35 minute video presentation which incorporates my commentary along with a Power Point presentation and Whiteboard examples of common & advanced P&L procedures for Chefs. Topics covered include preparation, food cost problem solving, theoretical food cost analysis and comparison to actual food cost, budgetary knowledge, margin & sales mix, how to build credibility, things NEVER to do in a P&L meeting, evaluating if the company’s food cost budget itself is the problem, and more.
Cost: $45
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Schedule a class with Chef David
Prefer to watch the P&L Meeting Preparation video (35 minutes) instead of scheduling a class?
Cost: Platinum Membership gives access to all videos in our exclusive Video Tutorial Library
Access Video Library
Help with the forms on this site
All the forms on the Chefs Resources are free to download. If you have questions about a specific form, read all of the comments before contacting me because your question will probably be answered there.
Although I’m open to answering additional questions, if your question is going to take more than five minutes of my time then I’m going to need to charge a consultation fee because as a Chef you know how valuable time is. You can purchase 15 minute consultations in $15 increments.
Please understand that I receive multiple requests for help and I also have a real job, a life, and other obligations. Between work and the website I put in about 70 hours a week so time is gold to me. Charging for my time sorts out the people who have already searched for the answer, read the comments, done a Google search for a solution, and are now willing to actually pay a small sum for some help.
My fee is $60 an hour broken down into 15 minute segments of $15.
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Related Pages Index
Books by Chefs Resources!
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wpDiscuz
A great support as I planned my pop-up event in a restaurant. I had so many questions and each was answered with patience at the end of Chef’s own long workday. A true help!
Do you have Availability Forms for employees to fill out to assist with scheduling?
after take the classe any certificated?
No, we don’t offer any certification. These are short classes for specific topics and classes range from 30 – 60 minutes on average.
Thanks sir