Field notes
Honest writing for the indie operator.
Comparisons we'd write if we ran the kitchen ourselves. Math the way a chef would explain it. The questions you Google at 11 pm — answered without the fluff.
Problem
Why Your Food Cost Percentage Lies (and How to Stop It)
Your monthly food cost % is correct. It's also three weeks late. The 4–7% margin gap nobody warns indie owners about — and the fix.
8 min readRead
How-toHow to Update Your COGS in 8 Seconds (Step-by-Step)
The exact workflow indie restaurants use in 2026 to go from paper invoice to live COGS dashboard in eight seconds. No spreadsheet, no bookkeeper.
6 min readRead
How-toFood Cost Percentage Formula (With a Worked Example)
The food cost percentage formula in plain English, worked through on a real bistro's numbers — plus the three places it silently goes wrong.
7 min readRead
The cornerstone
Start with the guide.
The complete 2026 guide to food cost management for indie restaurants — the long-form essay every field note here links back to.
Read the guide