Pastry Kitchen Management & Costing Flashcards
6 cards from real CPC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Pastry Kitchen Management & Costing flashcards as text
What are the three primary cost categories in a foodservice operation?
Answer: Food cost, labor cost, and overhead (prime cost when food + labor are combined)
The three main cost categories are food cost (ingredients), labor cost (staff), and overhead (rent, utilities, equipment); food cost + labor cost = prime cost.
What is 'menu engineering' in the context of a pastry menu?
Answer: A strategy that analyzes menu items by profitability and popularity to optimize the menu for maximum revenue
Menu engineering categorizes items as Stars (high profit, high popularity), Plowhorses (low profit, high popularity), Puzzles, or Dogs to guide pricing and menu decisions.
What is the purpose of 'portion control' in a pastry kitchen?
Answer: To ensure consistent product size/weight, maintain food cost targets, and deliver a consistent customer experience
Consistent portioning controls ingredient usage, ensures accurate food cost calculations, and guarantees every customer receives the same product quality and size.
What does 'cross-utilization' mean in pastry kitchen planning?
Answer: Using one ingredient or preparation in multiple menu items to reduce waste and simplify purchasing
Cross-utilization involves designing menu items that share common ingredients or base preparations, reducing inventory complexity and minimizing waste.
What is the significance of 'lead time' in purchasing for a pastry kitchen?
Answer: The time between placing an order and receiving the delivery, which must be factored into par levels and ordering schedules
Lead time affects how far in advance orders must be placed; longer lead times require higher par levels to prevent running out of ingredients.
What is the difference between 'fixed costs' and 'variable costs' in a pastry operation?
Answer: Fixed costs remain constant regardless of sales volume (rent, salaries); variable costs change with production volume (ingredients, hourly labor)
Fixed costs (rent, salaried staff, insurance) stay the same whether you sell 10 or 1,000 desserts, while variable costs (ingredients, hourly wages) rise and fall with production.