Menu Ingredient Pricing & Unit Conversions
Alejandro Cantagallo
Hospitality Management, Professional Studies
Food and Beverage Cost Control
Activity Description: Provide a brief description of the activity
Groups will be responsible for researching and documenting the pricing of all identified ingredients required for the term project menu, categorized by type. They will create a complete and organized list that accurately reflects purchasing specifications and applicable unit conversions.
Learning Goals: What do you aim to achieve with this activity?
Students will work in groups to research and collect pricing information for a set list of ingredients across various categories in the requisition sheet. The data gathered will be used as the standard pricing for the entire class’s term project. Additionally, students will convert the ingredient costs into consistent units of measurement for inclusion in a collective Excel worksheet.
Broadly speaking students will learn about group work, current pricing for food and beverage items and how to calculate costs related to food and beverage operations.
Timing: At what point in the lesson or semester do you use this activity? How much classroom time do you devote to it? How much out-of-class time is expected?
This is assigned on the 5th week of the semester with a week to complete and with half of the subsequent class time to complete the work in class with guidance anc coaching from the instructor.
Logistics: What preparation is needed for this activity? What instructions do you give students? Is the activity low-stakes, high-stakes, or something else?
Students will be divided into groups. Each group will be assigned specific categories from the requisition sheet (e.g., Dairy, Produce, Proteins, Dry Goods).
Each group will designate members to the following roles:
Ingredient Collector: Confers with all students in the class to ensure the requisition sheet includes all ingredients needed for their term project recipes. Ensures no required ingredient is missing from the sheet.
Verifier: Confirms the accuracy of the ingredients listed. Checks the pricing data collected for consistency and reliability.
Scribe: Ensures all collected information, including pricing and unit conversions, is recorded accurately in the shared Excel worksheet.
Review the assigned category in the requisition sheet. Identify all specific ingredients you are responsible for pricing. Research current pricing for each ingredient. Use reliable sources such as: Local grocery stores (in-person or online platforms like Instacart or FreshDirect), Wholesale suppliers (e.g., Restaurant Depot, Sysco, or local distributors), CLT price list
Then document the price per unit (e.g., per pound, gallon, dozen) and ensure consistency across items.
This is a low stakes assignement that is not graded, but required because the resulting price list will be the source of truth for pricing that all students will need in order to complete their term project.
Assessment: How do you assess this activity? What assessment measures do you use? Do you use a VALUE rubric? If not, how did you develop your rubric? Is your course part of the college-wide general education assessment initiative?
I will use the Quantative Literacy Value Rubric
Interpretation: The ability to explain information presented in mathematical representations.
Calculation: The ability to convert relevant information into various mathematical forms, including standardized costs.
Application and Analysis: The ability to make judgments and draw appropriate conclusions based on quantitative data.
Communication: The ability to express quantitative evidence effectively to support the purpose of the project.
Reflection: How well did this activity work in your classroom? Would you repeat it? Why or why not? What challenges did you encounter, and how did you address them? What, if anything, would you change? What did students seem to enjoy about the activity?
I decided to keep this assignment ungraded partly because it was my first time running it and partly because we’re still considering whether to integrate it into the department’s standard curriculum. The assignment was introduced in one class session, and in the following session, we spent half the class troubleshooting, refining, and finalizing the pricing together. This structure allowed students to get started independently, recognize potential challenges, and then work collaboratively—both in small groups and as a class—to resolve any issues. This felt like an almost magical moment, because the students took a lead in correcting their own work and encouraging each other to get the work done well.
A key takeaway from this assignment was that it also served as an introduction to using formulas in Excel. Interestingly, a few students realized they actually enjoy working with numbers, which was exciting and reaffirmed the value of incorporating this type of work into the curriculum.
Moving forward, I’d love to deepen the integration of this process into my future classes and, ideally, see it become a standard part of how this course is taught. Beyond the core learning objectives—such as group collaboration and real-world research—the ability to work with Excel is an essential skill that will benefit students in their careers.
Additional Information: Please share any additional comments and further documentation of the activity – e.g. assignment instructions, rubrics, examples of student work, etc. These can be links to pages or posts on the OpenLab.
Please share a helpful link to a pages or post on the OpenLab