Scale holiday recipes for 700 covers and check cost per portion with ChatGPT
Nick Nixon, managing partner and culinary director of Broadway Restaurant Group (Capo, Dalia and other Boston restaurants), interviewed by The Boston Globe
He fed ChatGPT the team's historical data on food prep timelines and ingredient quantities, then asked how much more of each ingredient he would need for 50 or 100 more covers. He also uses it to turn his handwritten menu plans into a digital document and to assess cost per portion.
ChatGPT Free $0; Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro $100/mo
Easy · or we set it up for $197
ChatGPT
The problem
Thanksgiving at Capo is "crazy busy, usually 700 reservations starting at noon and wrapping up around 9 p.m.," so turkey, stuffing and demi-glace gravy recipes have to be scaled up, and guessing wrong means over-ordering or running out.
What happened
Per the Globe, ChatGPT "estimated perfectly" this year, which kept him from over-ordering out of fear of running out. After a cost-per-portion check, he increased the octopus portion at Dalia without raising its price. No dollar figures are given.
Quoted in the source: Nick Nixon, managing partner and culinary director, Broadway Restaurant Group. Source: The Boston Globe: The most crucial employee at this Boston restaurant isn't human (2026-06-08) · Added 2026-10-31.
How to set it up yourself
- What Broadway Restaurant Group does: gives ChatGPT past prep timelines and ingredient quantities, asks what 50 or 100 more covers would need, and uses it to digitize handwritten menu plans and check cost per portion.
- Gather last year's numbers for your biggest service: covers, what you prepped of each item, and what was left over or ran out.
- Paste them into ChatGPT with the prompt below and ask for the quantities at your expected covers, plus 50 and 100 more.
- Check the math on two or three items by hand, then order and prep from the list; write down what was left over so next year's input is better.
- For costing, photograph or type your handwritten menu plan with ingredient costs and ask for cost per portion; decide portion and price changes yourself.
Copy-paste prompt
I run {RESTAURANT}. Last {OCCASION} we served {COVERS} covers. Here's what we prepped of each item and what was left or ran out: {PASTE LIST WITH QUANTITIES AND UNITS}. This year we expect {NEW COVERS}. Give me a table with each ingredient's quantity for {NEW COVERS}, {NEW COVERS + 50} and {NEW COVERS + 100}, keeping the same units. Show your math for each line and flag anything where last year's numbers look inconsistent.We set up one AI automation in your tools, live within 48 hours of getting access, for $197. No call needed. Founding price for our first 10 customers (regular $297).
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Tools used
ChatGPT
General AI assistant for writing, research, brainstorming and analysis.
From Free $0; Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro $100/mo (checked 2026-11-03)
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Checked prices: ChatGPT: from Free $0; Go $8/mo; Plus $20/mo; Pro $100/mo (verified 2026-11-03)
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