Plate Cost Update Agent

Ingredient prices change every week, but dish costs are usually updated a few times a year, so margins slip without anyone noticing. Each week this agent reads supplier invoice line prices and first checks that they add up to each invoice total. If not, it rereads the invoice or asks for a clean copy. It updates ingredient costs, then recalculates each dish using recipe yields, including trim and cooking loss. It compares dish cost with the menu price and the 30 percent target. For dishes over target, it suggests options such as portion, garnish or price changes. Price spikes over 15 percent that appear in only one week are marked so the chef can wait before acting. The chef approves any menu or portion change. Edge case: a storm that lifts fish prices for one week is marked as a spike, not acted on.