Check lease costs before repricing
Validate lease costs before changing restaurant menu prices.
Mark each input as checked, needs review, or excluded. Use only checked amounts in the base.
Then model food cost, item mix, and customer response. Your restaurant advisor owns that work.
A menu price guide says to use actual item costs. It also calls for clean stock data.
The guide warns against one flat price rise.
Lease costs need the same source care. A landlord estimate lacks source review.
Split the cost lanes
Use separate owners for each lane:
| Cost lane | Main source | Decision owner |
|---|---|---|
| Food | Recipe and vendor records | Restaurant advisor |
| Labor | Payroll and schedule records | Restaurant advisor |
| Sales mix | Sales system records | Restaurant advisor |
| Lease | Lease and landlord records | Lease cost reviewer |
Do not ask CAM data to set an item price. It cannot measure buyer response.
Do not ask sales data to prove a CAM charge. It cannot read lease terms.
Build the lease cost gate
The gate decides which amounts enter the base.
Give each lease input one status:
| Status | Meaning | Pricing use |
|---|---|---|
| Checked | Source and terms were checked | Use in the cost base |
| Needs review | Source or firm check remains open | Model as a separate case |
| Excluded | Cost sits outside this price plan | Do not use |
Keep each Needs review amount in a separate case. Firm review sets its final use.
Use these fields for every input:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Cost type | Rent, CAM, tax, insurance, or utility |
| Review period | Exact dates covered |
| Amount | Value shown by the source |
| Source file | File name and page |
| Lease term | Section and page |
| Status | Checked, needs review, or excluded |
| Owner | Named firm reviewer |
| Price model use | Base, separate case, or excluded |
Check percentage rent
A restaurant lease guide explains base, sales, and net lease charges. It says the gross sales wording matters.
Use this short check:
- Find the signed percentage rent clause.
- Copy its gross sales wording.
- List any stated sales exclusions.
- Match the reporting period.
- Model the price change outside CAM work.
- Send unclear terms to counsel.
A menu price change may affect reported sales. The lease text controls that link.
CAMAudit does not set sales terms. Your firm and counsel review them.
Walk one sample gate
This example is fictional. All names and amounts are made up.
River Street Tacos is planning its menu review.
| Input | Amount | Status | Price model use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base rent | $72,000 | Checked | Base |
| CAM | $26,000 | Needs review | Separate case |
| Taxes | $9,000 | Checked | Base |
| Insurance | $4,000 | Needs review | Separate case |
| Power and water | $12,000 | Checked | Base |
The checked lease base is $93,000. It includes rent, taxes, power, and water.
The $26,000 CAM item gets its own case. It has an open source question.
The $4,000 insurance amount gets its own case. It lacks final support.
The advisor can still review item costs. The open CAM item stays visible.
No one assumes the menu should absorb the open charge. No one promises a lower bill.
Use this decision tree
Follow this order:
- Does the input have a source?
- Does the period match the price plan?
- Does the signed lease support the method?
- Does the amount need more support?
- Does percentage rent need a separate case?
- Does the base pass all checks?
If no source exists, mark Needs review. Keep that amount in a separate case.
Do not hide either state inside one total.
Restaurant.org advised controlled price changes in September 2022. Its article also favored data based choices.
That advice came from an inflation period. Use its method, not a current market claim.
Set review scope with the site cost audit card.
Park multi-site CAM questions in the restaurant CAM queue.
Explain checked costs with the ratio bridge before menu work.
The restaurant advisor pillar keeps lease checks before pricing.
Choose other review owners in the Practice Growth hub.
Bring source steps from the franchise consultant hub into pricing.
Place lease cost reviews on the franchise consultant page.
Where CAMAudit fits
Restaurant advisors own food, POS, and final price choices.
CAMAudit reviews supplied CAM and lease files. It does not set menu prices.
It can run fixed math. Its report links approved findings to source lines.
Your firm reviews and signs the branded CAM audit. You then set the input status.
An approved plan input may support a dispute letter draft. Your firm checks it before use.
It is not legal advice. Have counsel review before sending.
Use the service line guide to set client scope.