STEP 4: Key Items List

Food costs vary dramatically from month to month and year to year.  It’s very important to always compare the price of both your highest volume purchase items and the most expensive items you buy each week from several competing vendors.

If you accurately specify to each vendor your specifications and the quality, cut or grade of the ingredient, you can save many food cost percentage points if you are comparing apples to apples. In this spreadsheet you will list your top 25 purchase items, your specs, and the price each vendor charges for the same item so you can purchase each item at its lowest cost each week.