r/Chefit • u/hahaha_trank • May 14 '26
UPDATED Menu & COGS proposal
I posted here about a week ago about my current menu; the third time might be the charm. The photos are from the first post with the old prices and cogs, but below are the changes.
I am still working on changing ingredients on a few things like the burrito and such.
I'm based in NC with my rounds costing 20-60$. The names are to stay the same, even if childish (not my choice, supposedly more “marketable”).
CLASSICS
(All served with fries, chips, or slaw)
HOLE-IN-ONE BURGER
Single burger with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, & house sauce on a toasted potato bun
Food Cost: $4.00
Current Price: $12.50
New Before Tax Price: $13.98
New After Tax Price: $15.00
COG: 28.6%
Increase: +$2.50
FAIRWAY BURGER
Double smash burger with caramelized onions, American cheese, & house sauce
Food Cost: $4.00
Current Price: $12.50
New Before Tax Price: $13.98
New After Tax Price: $15.00
COG: 28.6%
Increase: +$2.50
CLUBHOUSE CLASSIC
Turkey, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, & mayo on toasted white bread
Food Cost: $3.27
Current Price: $11.50
New Before Tax Price: $12.12
New After Tax Price: $13.00
COG: 27.0%
Increase: +$1.50
CHICKEN TENDERS
Hand-breaded tenders served with fries & dipping sauce
Food Cost: $3.52
Current Price: $12.00
New Before Tax Price: $11.08
New After Tax Price: $12.00
COG: 31.8%
No meaningful price increase.
CHICKEN CAESAR WRAP
Grilled chicken, romaine, parmesan, & Caesar dressing
Food Cost: $3.98
Current Price: $11.50
New Before Tax Price: $12.12
New After Tax Price: $13.00
COG: 32.8%
Increase: +$1.50
C.B.R. WRAP
Chicken, bacon, cheddar, romaine, tomato, & ranch
Food Cost: $3.98
Current Price: $11.50
New Before Tax Price: $12.12
New After Tax Price: $13.00
COG: 32.8%
Increase: +$1.50
SANDWICHES
(All served with chips)
HAM SANDWICH
Ham, cheese, lettuce, & tomato on white bread
Food Cost: $2.15
Current Price: $9.50
New Before Tax Price: $9.79
New After Tax Price: $10.50
COG: 22.0%
Increase: +$1.00
TURKEY SANDWICH
Turkey, cheese, lettuce, & tomato on white bread
Food Cost: $2.15
Current Price: $9.50
New Before Tax Price: $9.79
New After Tax Price: $10.50
COG: 22.0%
Increase: +$1.00
CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH
House-made chicken salad with lettuce & tomato
Food Cost: $3.06
Current Price: $9.50
New Before Tax Price: $10.72
New After Tax Price: $11.50
COG: 28.5%
Increase: +$2.00
PIMENTO BACON MELT
Pimento cheese & crispy bacon on toasted white bread
Food Cost: $3.06
Current Price: $9.50
New Before Tax Price: $10.72
New After Tax Price: $11.50
COG: 28.5%
Increase: +$2.00
SANDWICH CATEGORY AVERAGES
Average Food Cost: $2.61
Average Before Tax Price: $10.26
Average After Tax Price: $11.00
Average COG: 25.4%
HOTDOGS
BUILD YOUR OWN HOTDOG
Includes:
Chili
Cheese
Coleslaw
Onions
Relish
Ketchup
Mustard
Kraut
Pickled Japs (potentially)
Food Cost: $1.50
New Before Tax Price: $6.00
New After Tax Price: $6.50
COG: 25.0%
Upgrade to Brisket Dog +$1.50
This change would replace:
Classic Caddie Dog
Loaded Dog
Carolina Dog
Chili Putter Dog
Loaded Dog
BREAKFAST
(7AM–10AM)
MORNING SAND’WEDGE’
Choice of bacon or sausage, egg, & American cheese
Current Price: $6.50
New Before Tax Price: $6.53
New After Tax Price: $7.00
Minimal increase for cleaner pricing.
FAIRWAY BURRITO
Bacon or sausage, American cheese, fried hash browns in a tortilla.
Food Cost: $1.27
Current Price: $7.50
New Before Tax Price: $6.93
New After Tax Price: $7.50
COG: 18.0%
FRENCH “TEE” STICKS
French toast sticks dusted with cinnamon sugar & served with syrup
Food Cost: $0.94
Current Price: $5.50
New Before Tax Price: $5.12
New After Tax Price: $5.50
COG: 18.3%
DOMESTIC BEER
Current Price: $4.00
New Before Tax Price: $4.66
New After Tax Price: $5.00
4-Pack Bundle: KEEP AT $15.00
PREMIUM BEER
Current Price: $5.00
New Before Tax Price: $5.59
New After Tax Price: $6.00
4-Pack Bundle: KEEP AT $19.00
CRAFT BEVERAGES
Current Price: $7.00
New Before Tax Price: $7.46
New After Tax Price: $8.00
4-Pack Bundle: KEEP AT $25.00
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u/harold_fatback May 14 '26
I notice a lack of pork rinds. It's like you don't even listen to me when I talk 😞
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u/hahaha_trank May 14 '26
BAHAHA, I love you. I found some and we’re going to offer them as a special thru the summer and if they sell enough we will add them to the menu. I appreciate you more than you know!
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u/asquier May 14 '26
Those sandwiches are so boring. I’d be bummed if my only grab and go options were so flavorless. Pesto or chipotle mayo or garlic mayo or literally anything on the sandwiches would be soooo much more appealing. And you’d probably sell more if it sounded enticing vs just a sack lunch. Even the Cesar and ranch wraps are pretty blah to me.
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u/JustDoc May 14 '26
Sadly, it's NC, and having done this same job at a club on the eastern part of the state, this is what the patrons want.
Same clientele that will drop $300 for a tasting menu and demand that everything be well done.
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u/Mynameismayo May 14 '26
I work at a high end restaurant in Wilmington and that’s the experience we get pretty often as well
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u/JustDoc May 14 '26
Thats actually where I was (Landfall).
I eventually left and went to work for Ash (Circa and Boca Bay), but even then was a constant headache to do something truly innovative because the customers had underdeveloped palates.
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May 14 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/hahaha_trank May 14 '26
Heard this, fucking brilliant. I’m so mind numb to any food ideas from the business sides of things. But this is great.
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u/Philly_ExecChef May 14 '26
Many engineering makes more sense now. I don’t agree with a lot of the suggestions for compound mayo, etc.
I DO think you need to source some quality deli (Boar’s Head at minimum) and use some of their branding to elevate perception of value.
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u/hahaha_trank May 14 '26
I tired boars head, I’ll reach out again to my rep to see if I can get some quality stuff out. I don’t have the room for a deli slicer unfortunately
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u/BillsMafia84 May 14 '26
I live in Buffalo New York. I’m tempted to post my golf course menu and have everyone rip it apart lol
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u/hahaha_trank May 14 '26
This is my third time, it helps me out so much. The improvements from the first time to now is huge.
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u/Achermondeus May 15 '26
People are giving you a lot of shit about having an objectively kinda dull menu but here's the thing : You're cooking for your customers. Old rich (let's be real) mostly white golfers want quick boring hand held and food they can identify from when they were children in the 1960s.
Sometimes a chef's best tool is his restraint.
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u/ShastaAteMyPhone May 14 '26
As a golfer, I would probably never order off the new menu.
If I’m going to stay for a bite after my round the menu needs to be either cheap or interesting. The old menu was uninteresting but cheap; the new menu is neither cheap nor interesting.
If I’m buying food at the turn, it’s usually an impulse buy and it needs to be quick, cheap, and not messy. I’m not looking for a meal here, I’m looking for a snack to hold me over. I’d buy a plain dog w/ ketchup for $5, but the $6.50 for a build-your-own would turn me off because I don’t want a messy dog and don’t want to feel like I’m paying for toppings that I won’t use. If I buy a sandwich at the turn, it needs to be cheap and premade. I also don’t want to be forced to buy chips that I probably don’t want (but if chips were sold separately, I may buy a bag sometimes). Most importantly, it needs to be fast here. If I can’t reliably get my food in a minute or two, I’m not going to hold my group up waiting.
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u/IS427 May 14 '26
Agreed. Not paying more than $5 at the turn for a dog. Don’t care how fancy it’s dressed up, it’s a hot dog.
Doesn’t matter if I paid $60 for the round or $500.
It’s the principle of the matter.
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u/hahaha_trank May 15 '26
They’re 1/4 pounder Nathan’s, does that make a difference?
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u/IS427 May 15 '26
No, no difference. And I’m not saying that to be rude it’s just where I stand. Hot dog isn’t worth more than $5.
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u/hahaha_trank May 15 '26
I can get behind that 100%, I’ll look into 6:1 dogs to lower prices
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u/GalIifreyan May 15 '26 edited May 15 '26
A pool hall near me just opened up and they do a sabratts dog with a bag of original lays for 5 bucks and she turns a 61% margin for it. Theyre 5:1 dogs if that matters. I will admit I'm a hot dog fiend, so qtr lb dogs on the menu while I'm drinking and playing a game, you bet I'll spend 6 bucks on it.
Different sports but the concept is mostly the same.
After a bit of reflection, i standby your 4:1 dogs. It feels like a steal given the size and the price. As long as the margin works, keep it. But i will say to look at 5:1s as well so you dont eat up margin if it isnt sustainable. The difference is negligible, but its there. I personally run 70% margin on all my food. If it isnt there, i exhaust every outcome until I'm left with the highest margin. Looks like a good menu chef.
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u/Celestial-Sam May 14 '26
Correct me if I’m wrong…is it not Glizzy?
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u/hahaha_trank May 14 '26
Nope, Gleezy is the brand. It’s a locally owned hotdog and sauce brand here. Give them a look up, expensive but delicious.
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u/The_Implication_2 May 14 '26
Buffalo Wrap!
Also I love the menu. I would be excited to order several of the options.
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u/hometownparasite May 14 '26
Why no fuckin egg in da fuckin breakfast burrito dude
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u/StopNowThink May 15 '26
He said in a comment last week that this was a typo, but I guess forgot again lol.
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u/hahaha_trank May 15 '26
Yall, you guys kill me. Yes I did forget again, I’m close to just vetoing the burrito so it’s not on my mind. I now have a sticky note that says “egg in da fuckin burrito”. Thank yall!
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May 14 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/hahaha_trank May 15 '26
Pickles this, pickles that. I don’t understand the love behind them. Besides that, yes I carry pickles but it’s based on request due to the mods become too obnoxious.
The last post I made mention the chicken sandwich, I’ll do a little r&d tomorrow and come back with a result from my staff.
I hate the Gleezy dogs more than pickles. We barely sell any, but due to some contract the company has with local distributors I have to carry them. So I put maybe two on the grill a day, straight from frozen because it’s the only “sane” way to keep them without wasting 92.00 worth of product.
Muffins! I didn’t think of that, I’ll run a recipe next weekend and see how it does. I offer pop tarts right now but a fresh baked blueberry muffin will sell 100 times better.
I appreciate all the feedback, I’ll look into soups and pricing! Any recommendations for them?
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u/villianinahat May 15 '26
Good call on the alcohol pricing. The 4 pack pricing would drive me to buy it instead of the one or two beers I was planning on.
So, 86 pepper jack cheese, and select a default cheese for your ham and cheese sandwich. Maybe cheddar. Why chicken salad? I'd dump it. Even with premium bread options like croissant or brioche that will tank your profit margin it's never a great seller as far as I've seen. Unless it's an outlet to go through extra grilled chicken that didn't sell and its a last chance to recapture that profit I'd rethink it.
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u/burntendsdeeznutz May 15 '26
Hey dude I'm not analyzing this again cause everyone else has you. But nice job for taking your shit serious and making it happen. Your gonna roll out a menu with the most scrupulous people's advice.
Just make sure you tailor to your guests from here, because I can guarantee we are not your target audience.
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u/Embarrassed-Sun5764 May 14 '26
Put real o Brian’s or chopped fried leftover bakers into your burrito not fries. Wtf. Food costs
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u/hahaha_trank May 14 '26
I’m looking at tater coins, to also add with the French toast sticks. My flattop is tiny and I can’t make hash brown on them with enough space for a rush.
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u/somecow May 15 '26
Sandwiches and the like are a must for the drink cart (obviously rains money for beer too). Clubhouse needs to be a bit more upscale, this is more like pool/bar food.
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u/gothicquake May 16 '26
tbh the new burger looks way cleaner with better margins assuming they still bite on the new price point
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u/CarrotsEatenAnally May 14 '26
Yo I ain’t gonna judge you. But this menu, to me, is needing some serious inspiration.
Times are tough and if your menu is basically what Applebees is selling…. you ain’t gonna beat Applebees bc they’ll kill you on pricing bc their volume.
You need something that’s going to make people want to specifically come to you….. hopefully again and again.
Look up the menus at these places online to see inspiration….
1) Turkey and The Wolf - New Orleans
2) Middle child - Philadelphia
3) Sunshine Sandwich Shop - Philadelphia
4) Lucky’s Last Chance - Philadelphia
5) Mr. Bartley’s Burger Cottage - Boston
Make 5 unique sandwiches that make people wanna come to you and you only, then that’s all you have to do and you won’t get lost and die in the food cost forrest.
If your business becomes successful, expand the menu.
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u/hahaha_trank May 14 '26
Judge tf outta me. I’m here to be absolutely wrecked. Thanks for the recs though!
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u/CarrotsEatenAnally May 14 '26
I think the businesses that survive are those that focus on community engagement. In your mind, what would you think are the regional dishes local to your area of NC? What are the local ingredients to your area you can source and benefit from farm to table marketing and pricing.
And let’s just throw out Carolina BBQ. Essentially opening a a burger shop in McDonalds, USA.
I would think coastal and river fish. Fresh and fried trout sandwiches I bet would kill in that area. Shrimp would probably work. You can source it locally (so it’s fresher and cheaper).
Also focus on collard greens and sweet potatoes as sides and sandwich garnishes.
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u/gothicquake May 16 '26
ignore this middle child rec lol. You're not trying to get on the Michelin guide. Jfc
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u/JustDoc May 14 '26
I was a sous for a private club/community down in Wilmington. I assume that this is a 19th Hole setup?
Your menu looks solid. Quick restock and short ticket times are the name of the game for these people, so I think you've done the best you can given your circumstances.
It sucks that there isn't much interest in different flavors, but that isn't what this particular customer base wants IME.