You buy small and you buy often
A truck holds a day or two of stock, so buying happens several times a week in small amounts, and each trip changes what your food actually costs.
For food trucks
Run your food costs from the truck
PlateSense is inventory and food cost software for food trucks, built to work from a phone because that is where the work happens. Photograph a supplier receipt on the way back from the cash-and-carry and PlateSense reads the line items, updates what the ingredients cost, and reprices every item on your menu, including the packaging that leaves with the order.
The problem
What a food truck is up against
One ingredient carries the whole menu
When six items share a patty, a bun, and a sauce, a move on the protein price is not one item’s problem. It is the whole board’s.
You are the chef, the buyer, and the bookkeeper
Costing competes with prep, service, and the drive home. Anything that needs a laptop and a free evening does not get done.
How PlateSense fits
From the receipt to the service window
A photo of the receipt is the whole workflow
PlateSense runs in the browser and as an iOS and Android app on the same data, so you can photograph a supplier receipt at the truck and have the line items read, matched, and waiting for your approval before you have unpacked.
- Photograph a receipt or forward a PDF from your phone
- Line items matched to the ingredients you already carry
- Review and approve on the phone, or later on a laptop
PLATESENSEInvoices · ExampleSupplier invoice / #5507
A delivery, ready to review.
Cash and carry · 3 ingredients
Ready for your approval| Ingredient | Received | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Ground chuck 80/203 cases × 10 lb | 30 lb | $140.40 |
| Brioche buns4 cases × 48 ct | 192 each | $80.64 |
| American cheese2 cases × 120 slices | 240 slices | $26.40 |
Price Watch · Ground chuck 80/20$4.15 → $4.68 / lb · up 12.8%
Nothing added to stock yet$247.44
Cost the sauce once, not every time you make it
The sauces and batches a truck menu leans on are prep recipes with a yield you set once. PlateSense divides the batch into a cost per serving and carries it into every item that uses it.
- Batch cost and cost per serving for every sauce or base
- See which menu items depend on each batch
- Remake the batch without recosting the menu by hand
PLATESENSEPrep recipes · ExamplePrep recipe / Sauces
Smash sauce
Batch yield · 120 servings$0.06per serving
| Ingredient | Batch cost |
|---|---|
| Mayonnaise | $3.60 |
| Dill pickles | $1.65 |
| Ketchup | $1.10 |
| Spices & vinegar | $0.85 |
Total batch cost$7.20
Used in these menu items
Double smash burgerCrispy chicken sandwich
What each order actually leaves you
Every menu item is built from its portions, its prep, and its packaging at the prices on your last receipt. PlateSense shows the food cost percentage and the contribution per order, which is the number that decides whether a busy service was a good one.
- Food cost and contribution for every item on the board
- Wrappers, baskets, and containers costed as real lines
- Items whose food cost percentage moved are flagged
PLATESENSEMenu items · ExampleMenu item / Build Sheet
Double smash burger
Menu price · $13.00
$9.57Contribution per order
| Build Sheet | Cost per order |
|---|---|
| Ground chuck 80/20Two 3 oz patties | $1.76 |
| Brioche bun & American cheese | $0.64 |
| Hand-cut fries5 oz | $0.58 |
| Onion, pickle & packaging | $0.39 |
| Smash sauce1 serving · Prep recipe | $0.06 |
Food cost · 26.4% of selling price$3.43
Contribution is selling price less ingredient cost.
Examples use illustrative figures, not customer data.
Questions
Food trucks ask
Can I use PlateSense from the truck on my phone?
Yes. PlateSense runs in the browser and as an iOS and Android app that share the same data, and invoice capture, review, and recipe lookups are all built to work on a phone. Photographing a supplier receipt on your phone is the normal way to get a delivery into PlateSense, so costing does not have to wait for a laptop at the end of the week.
Is food cost software worth it for a menu of six items?
A short menu makes each item matter more, not less, because the same protein, bun, and sauce sit under everything you sell and a price move hits the whole board at once. PlateSense has a free plan covering manual invoice entry, inventory, and recipe costing with no credit card, so a truck can cost its full menu before deciding whether the automated invoice processing on a paid plan is worth it.
Do I need to count stock before PlateSense can cost my menu?
No. PlateSense costs recipes and menu items from the prices on your supplier receipts, so you get a real cost per order from your first processed receipt without counting anything. Physical counts are available when you want to know what the stock on the truck is worth, but they are not a prerequisite for costing the menu.
Ready to know your real food costs?
Start your free account today. Forward your first invoice and watch your kitchen data come to life.
Get Started FreeFree plan availableNo credit card requiredCancel anytime