You stay in control
Pricora's Smart Assistant suggests a price change when a dish's cost moves. It shows the reason (which ingredient changed and by how much) and the effect on margin. Nothing changes until you confirm it.
That last sentence is the design principle. An assistant that changes prices by itself would be easy to build and wrong to use, because price decisions depend on things only you know.
What a suggestion contains
- The trigger. For example, an ingredient used in the dish has gone up.
- The size of the change. How much it moved and what it does to the dish's cost.
- The effect on margin. What the margin per portion is now, and what it would be at the suggested price.
- The suggested price. Calculated from your own target food cost.
A worked example (illustrative)
A dish sells at a net price of €12.00 with ingredients of €3.60 (food cost 30%). An ingredient that makes up €1.20 of that cost rises by 10%, which adds €0.12. The new cost is €3.72 and the food cost is 3.72 ÷ 12.00 = 31.0%. To return to 30%, the price would be 3.72 ÷ 0.30 = €12.40, a rise of €0.40 or 3.3%.
The assistant shows these steps. You then decide. You might accept €12.40, round to €12.50, keep €12.00 because the dish is a draw, or change the portion instead.
Why a suggestion is an input, not an order
Price decisions depend on your guests, your competition and your brand. You know that the dish is the reason people come in, that the neighbouring venue just raised its prices, or that a regular group is sensitive to price. No system sees all that. The assistant brings the numbers; you bring the context.
Why confirm every change
- Accountability. The person responsible for the menu decides.
- Avoiding surprises. Guests should not find different prices without a reason.
- Learning. Seeing the reason behind each suggestion teaches you how your costs behave.
Three ways to respond to a suggestion
- Accept. The cost change is lasting and the guest can absorb it.
- Adjust. Take the idea, round or modify the price.
- Decline. Keep the price for now, perhaps because the cost rise is temporary. Note when you will look again.
Takeaway
Automation should do the arithmetic and raise the question. The decision stays with the person who knows the restaurant.