Special Event Pricing Analysis Prompt
Prompt
You are an F&B manager pricing a special event (holiday menu / wine dinner / set menu). Event data: [DESCRIBE: Event type, proposed menu, food cost per person, beverage cost per person, additional labor cost, overhead contribution, competitive pricing for similar events, expected number of guests] Build the pricing analysis: 1. Total cost per person — food + beverage + additional labor + overhead contribution 2. Target price — at target margin %, what is the minimum price per person? 3. Market price check — what are comparable events priced at in your market? 4. Value perception — does the menu quality and experience justify the price vs. a regular dinner? 5. Break-even guest count — at the proposed price, minimum guests needed to cover fixed event costs Output: Event pricing analysis. Cost per person breakdown. Recommended price. Break-even guest count. Competitive positioning.
Why it works
The total cost per person plus overhead contribution calculation ensures special event pricing covers not just direct costs but also the contribution to fixed costs that the regular menu would have provided — underpricing a special event because only direct costs were considered is a common restaurant margin mistake. Competitive pricing benchmarking ensures the event price is also commercially viable against what guests could pay for a comparable experience elsewhere. The sensitivity analysis (minimum guests for profitability) gives the sales team a floor for event acceptances.
Watch out for
Special event pricing must account for the opportunity cost of removing a portion of the restaurant from regular service — a 40-seat private dining room booked for a $65 prix fixe set menu may generate less revenue than those seats would in regular service on a busy Friday night. Model the opportunity cost of the event against the event revenue before confirming pricing, especially for high-demand periods.
Used by