Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
coût plateau
English translation:
cost per head / per capita cost
Added to glossary by
Penny Lynch
Nov 5, 2018 09:13
5 yrs ago
French term
coût plateau
French to English
Bus/Financial
Tourism & Travel
Catering / Finance
Could someone please explain the meaning of the term "coût plateau" in the following sentence?
en suivant précisément les instructions de ce guide et en mesurant les pertes, chaque site veillera à ne pas dépasser le coût plateau de xx
This is in a guide for staff working in a hotel chain who are revising their buffet selection and obviously this is to do with keeping costs down. However, I have been unable to find this phrase in any of the normal sources for this context. I also don't know the number XX. There is no more helpful context to explain the term further.
Many thanks
en suivant précisément les instructions de ce guide et en mesurant les pertes, chaque site veillera à ne pas dépasser le coût plateau de xx
This is in a guide for staff working in a hotel chain who are revising their buffet selection and obviously this is to do with keeping costs down. However, I have been unable to find this phrase in any of the normal sources for this context. I also don't know the number XX. There is no more helpful context to explain the term further.
Many thanks
Proposed translations
(English)
| 1 +3 | cost per head / per capita cost |
Tony M
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| 4 -2 | cost of the platter |
SafeTex
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| 2 -1 | total cost |
Gordon Matthews
|
Proposed translations
+3
46 mins
Selected
cost per head / per capita cost
If this is talking about buffet catering, then I can only guess that it refers to the total cost per person, given that what they eat is basically a selection of items (as might be collected on a tray)
Usually, a customer booking (say) a cocktail recpetion will pay a 'per head' price, but of course with a buffet, it's always difficult to "polices" (!) how much people actually take, so it is necessary to over-cater; hence the actual COST price per head will be thte toal cost of the buffet divided by the number of guests paid for; naturally, the former figure needs to ba a lot less than the price per head being charged to the hosting client.
I am not aware of a 'standard' term for this in the industry, though there may very wll be one.
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Note added at 4 hrs (2018-11-05 13:23:01 GMT)
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Note that in catering we do talke about things like 'average ticket price', which is pretty much the 'per-head spend', and is useful in business analysis; but the key point here is are we talking about 'cost' or 'price'? FR has a nasty habit of using 'coût' for 'price' as well as cost — and sometimes v-v! Cf. 'prix de revient' = 'cost price' (but as distinct from selling something at 'prix coûtant' = 'at cost'!)
Usually, a customer booking (say) a cocktail recpetion will pay a 'per head' price, but of course with a buffet, it's always difficult to "polices" (!) how much people actually take, so it is necessary to over-cater; hence the actual COST price per head will be thte toal cost of the buffet divided by the number of guests paid for; naturally, the former figure needs to ba a lot less than the price per head being charged to the hosting client.
I am not aware of a 'standard' term for this in the industry, though there may very wll be one.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 hrs (2018-11-05 13:23:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Note that in catering we do talke about things like 'average ticket price', which is pretty much the 'per-head spend', and is useful in business analysis; but the key point here is are we talking about 'cost' or 'price'? FR has a nasty habit of using 'coût' for 'price' as well as cost — and sometimes v-v! Cf. 'prix de revient' = 'cost price' (but as distinct from selling something at 'prix coûtant' = 'at cost'!)
Note from asker:
| That's great Tony, thanks! I was leaning in that direction but was a bit puzzled by the fact that I couldn't find a translation for such a straightforward phrase anywhere! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
ph-b (X)
: or cost per tray? This is about catering in a hotel chain, so perhaps a cafetaria in which customers put things on their tray?
33 mins
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Merci, ph-b! Ah yes, indeed, Asker's failure to provide the full context may be hiding that — it's certainly what I'd initiially assumed.
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| agree |
Sheila Wilson
1 hr
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Thanks, Sheila!
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| disagree |
SafeTex
: Cost per head can include all sorts of other costs factored in like waiting on tables, heating costs divided by number of tables. Ph-b says "cost per tray" which is fine too but not Cost per Head.
3 hrs
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In our industry, when talking specifically about the food, we do not factor in the 'overhead' costs, which are treated separately
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| agree |
B D Finch
: As people generally collect their food from a buffet on a tray, you could call it a "cost per tray".
5 hrs
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Thanks, B! Yes, though it's all so dependent on that missing context...
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| agree |
Daryo
: definitely makes sense - if you don't take into account the number of guests, comparisons of costs are a bit pointless/misleading, as it's extremely unlikely that all "sites" of this hotel chain are exactly the same size.
1 day 1 hr
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Thanks, Daryo! Exactly! The idea is to try and get the guests to stuff themselves with the cheaper itmes, so they won't notice the stinginess on the dearer ones ;-)
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you!"
-2
3 hrs
cost of the platter
Hello
okay, you could say 'dish' instead but I'm pretty sure this is when they calculate how much the food on the platter (plate) costs the company in a costing.
So although similar to "cost per head", it is different as it refers to the platter and not any other cost per head.
the reference says "platter" in the text
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Note added at 23 hrs (2018-11-06 08:36:01 GMT)
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Another problem with "costs per head" is that in catering, it can refer to the cost to the customer like when you get a price per head/guest (50 Euros per head). This is completely wrong in our context where we are talking about staff keeping costs down (the price the company has paid for food on the plate, not what the customer pays)
okay, you could say 'dish' instead but I'm pretty sure this is when they calculate how much the food on the platter (plate) costs the company in a costing.
So although similar to "cost per head", it is different as it refers to the platter and not any other cost per head.
the reference says "platter" in the text
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 23 hrs (2018-11-06 08:36:01 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
Another problem with "costs per head" is that in catering, it can refer to the cost to the customer like when you get a price per head/guest (50 Euros per head). This is completely wrong in our context where we are talking about staff keeping costs down (the price the company has paid for food on the plate, not what the customer pays)
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Tony M
: Clunky in EN. 'platter cost' would be neater — except that 'platter' is a very quaint, old-fashioned word to use these days, usually only jocular, or for something like 'cheese platter', but v. rarely in general usage.
10 mins
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Jesus. You seem to agree with the idea but not the wording. Does this merit yet another disagree which is more like saying it is completely wrong.
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| disagree |
B D Finch
: A person dining at the buffet is likely to have a number of assiettes, and even a verre, or two on their plateau.//The point is that it's a tray i.e. all that one customer consumes for one meal, not a "platter".
2 hrs
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So what? You know "cost price" for a product don't you??? The product may have many components but it still has a cost price. This is basically the same but for what is on the customer's "platter". Even drinks can be costed in this way.
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-1
1 day 1 hr
Gordon Matthews
Germany
Germany
Native in English
Specializes in field
Germany
translator - copy-editor - proofreader
Native in: English (Variants: US, British, UK) 
Works in: German to English, French to English
total cost
writeaway quotes: "Le coût plateau qu’est-ce que c’est ? Il s’agit de la rémunération de l’ensemble des personnes présentes le jour de la représentation : danseurs, techniciens, metteur en scène, etc. Ici la rémunération = salaire brut + charges que la compagnie devra payer." The context is a little different, but I would suggest that "coût plateau" means "total cost" ("plateau" could mean "ceiling" in this case, i.e. nothing to do with plates or trays). "xx" simply represents the price which they have yet to calculate or do not wish to disclose.
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Tony M
: This wouldn't really make sense in the context as given, where we are talking about reducing costs, with no mention of 'overall' (though that might be a desirable spin-off!) In that ref. 'plateau' = '(studio) set' — risky to extrapolate that to 'plafond'
52 mins
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It makes sense to me that they would tell people not to exceed a total cost of xx euro.
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| disagree |
Daryo
: your explanation is based on a reference concerning a completely different kind of "plateau" // there isn't any element of "not wanting to disclose" any price, all is there is about limiting costs.
1 hr
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Sorry, I should have written "cost" instead of "price".
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| agree |
writeaway
: definitely possible imo
1 hr
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I found your reference very helpful. Thank you!
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Reference comments
49 mins
Reference:
fwiw/hth
In a different context, but could give a hint as to the meaning. (Or not...)
Pour calculer le prix de cession de votre spectacle, nous vous proposons donc de débuter par mettre à plat votre coût plateau. Le coût plateau qu’est-ce que c’est ? Il s’agit de la rémunération de l’ensemble des personnes présentes le jour de la représentation : danseurs, techniciens, metteur en scène, etc. Ici la rémunération = salaire brut + charges que la compagnie devra payer.
http://www.lafabriquedeladanse.fr/2018/formations/formations...
Cout plateau :
Le prix des salaires (toutes charges comprises) des gens mobilisés
pour une représentation : artistes et techniciens.
C’est le cout « raz des pâquerettes (ce au dessous de quoi vous ne devez jamais descendre pour calculer le prix de vente d’un spectacle), puisque ca ne comprend pas le salaire de quui a vendu, ni la part de la production, ni même les frais de déplacements…
https://www.conteurspro.fr/pdf/5_droits/petit_lexique.pdf
Pour calculer le prix de cession de votre spectacle, nous vous proposons donc de débuter par mettre à plat votre coût plateau. Le coût plateau qu’est-ce que c’est ? Il s’agit de la rémunération de l’ensemble des personnes présentes le jour de la représentation : danseurs, techniciens, metteur en scène, etc. Ici la rémunération = salaire brut + charges que la compagnie devra payer.
http://www.lafabriquedeladanse.fr/2018/formations/formations...
Cout plateau :
Le prix des salaires (toutes charges comprises) des gens mobilisés
pour une représentation : artistes et techniciens.
C’est le cout « raz des pâquerettes (ce au dessous de quoi vous ne devez jamais descendre pour calculer le prix de vente d’un spectacle), puisque ca ne comprend pas le salaire de quui a vendu, ni la part de la production, ni même les frais de déplacements…
https://www.conteurspro.fr/pdf/5_droits/petit_lexique.pdf
Peer comments on this reference comment:
| agree |
Tony M
: Interesting, but not, I think, relevant to the catering context here; 'plateau' = 'set' being very specific to the entertainment industry.
40 mins
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| agree |
Carol Gullidge
: I wonder if this could refer to "platform price", but am not at all certain
51 mins
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| neutral |
Daryo
: interesting to know, but unless the "show" consists in the public getting on stage and eating and drinking, I can't see the relevance for this ST???
1 day 1 hr
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Discussion
That is EXACTLY why you can't use cost per head, which is used by caterers to quote customers.
I concede the point that if this FR text is referring to an AMERICAN hotel chain, it could be talking about 'the cost of a serving dish of sausage rolls' or whatever; but if it is a European hotel chain, I still feel, like BDF, that the 'plateau' being referred to is the amount of food being consumed by the guest.
It's all the skill of buffet catering — to make sure there is enough to go round, but with as little waste as possible.
This is a guide for staff for keeping costs under control so "cost per platter or similar"
It is not a caterer's prices to customers (cost per head/guest)
But when it comes to getting it right, "price per head" is way off. As I explained, that can weigh in many other factors like waiting on tables, and why not car park spaces if customers roll up in cars
This term refers stricty to costing what is on the customer's plate while cost per head is normally the price the customer pays and is therefore GREATER than "cost of the platter".
As you say yourself, "getting it right" is important!!!
1) Getting the idea right
2) Getting the wording right ?
I don't imagine anyone looking at this question is having too much problem with the underlying idea... but in this instance, I feel Asker is probably most seeking support in finding the right wording.
Would you really, in say a self-service cafeteria, say "Please take your platter to the checkout" or "Please clear you table by putting the platter into the rack"?! I suspect these days the term is possibly used more in EN-US — but even then, refers to a serving dish, rather than an individual portion.
As far as I (a catering professional) am aware, the term is quaint and dated and used either in a jocular sense: "He placed an enormous platter in front of us laden with delicacies." or on something like a menu, where you might see 'platter of cold cuts' or 'cheese platter' — usually where they're trying to make it sound more 'grand' than a mere 'plate'.
And it also depends on context whether this means 'cost' (i.e. cost to the supplier to produce) or coût = price, as is so often the case, referring to the end-user retail price.
I feel sure Asker's wider context probably does make this clear...