Cost index

A market read of where common restaurant ingredients are priced, drawn from public sources and shown as a typical range — the middle half of the market, from the 25th to the 75th percentile — with a trend. It tells an operator whether a price move is the market or a single vendor.

Why it matters

A menu price set in winter assumes a winter cost. When an invoice jumps, the operator cannot tell from the invoice alone whether the whole market moved or one vendor raised the price — so they either overpay quietly or re-price a dish that did not need it. A cost index answers that: read the typical range, read the direction, and check where your own price sits. Public market sources — the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and FRED — publish the underlying prices; the index blends them without mixing different price types into one number. Muntin's cost index carries that reading for common restaurant ingredients, each on its own page.

Frequently asked

What is a cost index?

A market read of where common restaurant ingredients are priced, drawn from public sources and shown as a typical range — the middle half of the market, from the 25th to the 75th percentile — with a trend. It tells an operator whether a price move is the market or a single vendor.

Where do the numbers come from?

Public market sources — the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and FRED. Different price types (delivered, wholesale, an index) are never blended into one number; each contributes on its own terms.

How do I tell if I am overpaying?

Read the typical range — the 25th to the 75th percentile — then place your own price on it. Below the range is a good deal; inside is normal; above the range is worth a vendor conversation.