Nature's Garden, a new restaurant situated on a busy highway in Pomona, California, specializes in a chef's salad selling for $7. Daily fixed costs are $1,710, and variable costs are $4 per meal. With a capacity of 950 meals per day, the restaurant serves an average of 900 meals each day. Requried:a. Determine the current average cost per meal. b. A busload of 30 Girl Scouts stops on its way home from the San Bernardino National Forest. The leader offers to bring them in if the scouts can all be served a meal for a total of $150. The owner refuses, saying he would lose $0.60 per meal if he accepted this offer. How do you think the owner arrived at the $0.60 figure? Comment on the owner's reasoning. c. A local businessman on a break overhears the conversation with the leader and offers the owner a one-year contract to feed 300 of the businessman's employees one meal each day at a special price of $4.50 per meal. Should the restaurant owner accept this offer? Why or why not?

Nature's Garden

a. Determination of the current average cost per meal:

Variable cost per meal = $3,800 ($4 x 950) based on full capacity

Fixed costs per day =        $1,710

Total costs =                     $5,510

Average cost per meal = $5,510/950 = $5.80

b. Girl Scouts' offer of $150 for 30 girls:

Offered price per person = $5 ($150/30)

Projecting a loss of $0.60 per meal, this gives a total loss of $18 ($0.60 x 30)

Projected revenue from the offer = $150 + $18 = $168

Projected revenue per meal = $168/30 = $5.60

Actual revenue to be received per meal = $5.00

Loss of $0.60

The owner arrived at the $0.60 loss because his total costs per meal was $5.60.

c. Since the variable cost per meal is $4, the restaurant owner could accept the offer if the additional 300 meals will not increase his daily fixed costs due to lack of capacity.  If the fixed costs increase with this addition, then it may not be reasonable to accept the offer.  Based on this offer, the contribution to defraying fixed costs, given present capacity, is only $0.50 ($4.50 - $4) per meal.

Explanation:

Selling price of chef's salad = $7

Daily fixed costs = $1,710

Variable costs per meal = $4

Meals capacity per day = 950

Average meals = 900

Nature's Garden has a fixed cost of $1,710 based on current capacity of 950 meals per day.  The fixed cost may increase with increasing capacity.  This fact must be borne in mind when making decisions.

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