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Pricing for senior living dining

Run your kitchen free. Pay only on what you buy.

MagicMenu's Kitchen Execution System plans menus, honors every diet order, and tells each station what to cook. It also writes your food order. Route that order through MagicMenu and the software, setup and starter hardware cost $0 a month.

See plansEstimate your savings
  • Keep your distributor
  • IDDSI & allergens on every plan
  • E-ink cards that update themselves

A month on KES Starter

Example: 100-resident community, $11.00 food cost per resident-dayA11

Kitchen Execution System$0
Starter e-ink kit & setup$0
Managed spend this month$33,124
Managed procurement, 2.75%A1$911
Est. waste & price savings, 4.0%A8−$1,325
Net to your budget+$414

Illustrative model, computed live in your browser.

PlansManaged procurementEstimatorHardwareAdd-onsFAQ

Plans

Start at $0. Add a subscription when a lower procurement rate pays for it.

Every plan runs the same kitchen. Paid plans lower your managed-procurement rate and open compliance reporting, deeper resident personalization, and portfolio roll-ups.

Most communities start here

KES Starter

A single community that wants to go live fast with no software bill.

$0/mo
2.75%A1 of managed spend
Single rate. No volume tiers.
  • Menus, recipes & census-driven production
  • IDDSI diet & texture orders, allergen tracking
  • Auto-generated distributor orders
  • Cottage e-ink kit includedA16
  • Up to 150 residents, 1 community

Hardware included at $0 with a 24-month managed-procurement term.

Start a pilot

KES Core

Communities that want HACCP logs, survey-ready reports and a lower rate.

$69/mo per communityA4
2.25%A2 of managed spend
Steps down to 1.95% with volume
  • Everything in Starter
  • HACCP & temperature logs
  • CMS F800–F814 survey-ready reports
  • Full resident preference profiles
  • Hardware bought or financed at 0%

Bring your own tablets or buy any e-ink bundle.

Book a demo

Build Your Own

Operators of 2–20 communities who choose their own modules.

Custom quote
1.95%A2 of managed spend
Steps down to 1.60%. Subscriptions typically $149–$349/moA5
  • Everything in Core
  • Multi-community menu cycles
  • Portfolio roll-up reporting
  • Pick any add-ons at bundle pricing
  • Dedicated onboarding chef

Bundle hardware across communities.

Build a quote

Enterprise

Regional and national operators, CCRC campuses and health systems.

Talk to sales
From 1.25%A2
Rates set on portfolio volume
  • Everything in Build Your Own
  • Partner-funded pricing option
  • SSO, audit trails, custom roles
  • EHR diet-order sync included
  • Named success team & SLA

Portfolio hardware rollouts and on-site install.

Contact sales
✓

Safety is never a paid feature. IDDSI texture levels, allergen tracking and diet-order checks are included on every plan, including $0.

Managed procurement rates

One rate on what you buy. It goes down as you grow.

The rate applies to delivered, non-returned food and supply invoices routed through MagicMenu. You keep your distributor, your contract prices and your rebates. Bands are based on annual managed spend across your account.

Annual managed spendA3StarterCoreBuild Your OwnEnterprise
Under $250K2.75%2.25%1.95%—
$250K – $1M2.75%2.15%1.85%1.60%
$1M – $5M—1.95%1.70%1.50%
Over $5M——1.60%1.25%
Partner credit on partner-contracted itemsA6up to −1.00 ptup to −1.00 ptup to −1.00 ptup to −1.00 pt
Partner credit
Up to −1.00 pt

When you buy items under a participating distributor or manufacturer program, that partner pays part of the fee. We show it line by line on your invoice.

Partner-funded option
0% to youA7

Buy within the partner network and partners fund the whole fee. Partner payments never change which product we recommend.

MagicMenu Pay · guest & café
2.49% + 15¢A15

Card payments for guest meals, family dining, the café and catering. Online and family-app orders: 3.50% + 15¢.

How managed procurement works

Your menu writes the order. You approve it.

Most kitchens order from a par sheet and memory. MagicMenu orders from what residents will actually eat this week, at the textures and diets they need.

  1. 1

    Menu

    Cycle menus with standardized recipes and yields.

    Chef
  2. 2

    Census

    Residents, guests, diet orders, IDDSI levels and allergies for each meal.

    Care team · EHR
  3. 3

    Production plan

    Portions by station, texture and diet. Leftover and on-hand stock netted out.

    MagicMenu
  4. 4

    Auto-generated order

    Contract items first. Substitutions checked against every allergen and diet rule.

    Director approves
  5. 5

    Distributor

    Sent to your national broadline distributor, a specialty house or your regional house.

    Your distributor
  6. 6

    Receiving

    Scan-in against the order. Shorts, subs and price changes flagged before you sign.

    Receiving cook
Less wasteProduction matches census, so less goes in the bin.
Tighter parsOn-hand stock drops without running out.
Contract pricesOff-contract buys get caught before they ship.
Safe substitutionsNo sub ships if it breaks a diet or allergen rule.
Diet accuracyThe right texture, plated for the right resident.

Estimator

See whether the savings cover the fee

Enter your community's numbers. Savings rates are conservative defaults you can change under Advanced. Pilots replace them with your own invoice data.

Used for cost per meal. Your food cost below should already cover all meals.
Senior-living average $6.52 (ANFP 2021). SNF median $8.00 (ANFP 2025). Premium communities run higher.
Plan
Who pays the procurement fee
Advanced assumptions
Your community's net savings per year+$8,910Savings cover the fee · $89 per resident per year
Annual managed spend$397,485
Estimated savings$15,899 (4.0%)
Waste reduction$6,956
Contract-price compliance$4,969
Pars & substitution control$3,975
MagicMenu procurement fee (2.15%)$8,546
Paid by partners$2,385
Paid by your community$6,161
Subscription$828
Your cost per meal served6.4¢
Savings
Fee + subscription
WasteContract pricePars & subsYou payPartners pay

MagicMenu view · revenue from this community

Procurement fees$8,546
Subscription$828
Annual revenue per community$9,374

Illustrative model, computed live in your browser.

Hardware

E-ink that updates itself from the menu

Paper-like displays draw power only when they change, so a buffet card runs for years on one battery. Change a recipe and every card, station screen and hallway sign updates before service.

Lunch · Hot line Herb-Roasted Salmon Lemon-dill butter, roasted fingerlings
FISHMILKGLUTEN-FREEHEART-HEALTHY
IDDSI 7MM5 availablePU4 available
410kcal34gprotein380mg Na9gcarb
Buffet card · 4.2"Dish, allergens, diet and texture flags, nutrition. $29 eachA12
Station 2 · ProteinsLunch · Tue Oct 13
Salmon, regular (IDDSI 7)62
Salmon, minced & moist (MM5)9
Salmon, puréed (PU4)6
Fish allergy → herb chicken4
Low-sodium, no butter finish11
Pull from cooler by 10:4019 lb

Census 81 · Updated 9:02 from MagicMenu

Station display · 13.3"Prep and line counts by texture and diet for each meal. $399A12
Tonight · 5:00–7:00 PM

Aspen Dining Room

Starter

Butternut squash bisque

Entrée

Braised short rib, horseradish mash · or herb-roasted salmon

Dessert

Apple crisp with vanilla custard

Texture-modified and allergy-safe versions of every dish are available. Ask your server.

Resident signage · 25.3"Dining-room entrances, hallways, elevators and activity boards. $1,499A12

Cottage kit

Up to 50 residents
  • 24 buffet cards
  • 2 station displays
  • 1 entrance board
  • 1 wireless base station
On KES Starter$0
0% financing, 24 moA13$138/mo
Pay upfront$3,299

Community kit

50–150 residents
  • 60 buffet cards
  • 4 station displays
  • 2 entrance boards
  • 4 hallway & elevator signs (13.3")
  • 2 base stations
On KES Starter$5,200 after credit
0% financing, 24 moA13$355/mo
Pay upfront$8,499

Campus kit

150+ residents
  • 150 buffet cards
  • 8 station displays
  • 4 entrance boards
  • 12 hallway & elevator signs
  • 4 base stations
On EnterpriseQuoted with term
0% financing, 24 moA13$813/mo
Pay upfront$19,499
Table cards (2.9") $19 eachA12 Resident door menu cards (7.5") $79 each Wireless temperature probes $49 each Bring your own tablets for kitchen screens on any plan

Add-ons

Add what your kitchen needs

Add-ons work with any plan, Starter included. Build Your Own and Enterprise customers get them at bundle pricing.A14

Back of house

Inventory & Receiving

Counts, invoice matching, price-change alerts and true plate cost.

$99/mo per community
Back of house

Production Planning & Labor

Prep lists, staff scheduling and labor minutes per meal.

$129/mo per community
Residents

Resident & Family App

Menus, meal choices, guest reservations and family meal orders.

$75/mo + MagicMenu Pay rate
Clinical

EHR / EMR Diet-Order Sync

Diet orders and IDDSI changes flow in from the clinical record without retyping.A18

$149/mo per community
Leadership

Analytics & Multi-site

Food cost per resident-day, waste and compliance across every community.

$99/mo per community
Revenue

Café, Catering & Private Dining

Grab-and-go checkout, event menus, deposits and family celebrations.

$100/mo + MagicMenu Pay rate

Compare plans

Every feature, plan by plan

FeatureStarterCoreBuild Your OwnEnterprise
Monthly subscription$0$69CustomCustom
Managed-procurement rate2.75%2.25–1.95%1.95–1.60%1.60–1.25%
Kitchen execution
Cycle menus & standardized recipes✓✓✓✓
Census-driven production plans✓✓✓✓
Station displays & tickets✓✓✓✓
Production planning & laborAdd-onAdd-on✓✓
Diets & safety
IDDSI diet & texture orders✓✓✓✓
Allergen tracking & substitution checks✓✓✓✓
Resident preferencesLikes & dislikesFull profilesFull profilesFull profiles
EHR / EMR diet-order syncAdd-onAdd-onAdd-on✓
Compliance
HACCP & temperature logs—✓✓✓
CMS F800–F814 survey-ready reports—✓✓✓
Audit trail & custom roles——✓✓
Procurement
Auto-generated distributor orders✓✓✓✓
Contract-price compliance alerts✓✓✓✓
Inventory & receivingAdd-onAdd-on✓✓
Partner-funded pricing——Eligible items✓
Portfolio
Communities11 per subscription2–20Unlimited
Multi-community roll-ups——✓✓
SSO———✓
Hardware & support
Starter e-ink kit at $0✓——Quoted
0% hardware financing✓✓✓✓
24/7 support✓✓✓✓
OnboardingRemoteRemoteOnboarding chefOn-site team

FAQ

Questions operators ask first

How can the software be free?

We earn a small percentage of the food and supplies you buy through MagicMenu. Because the system plans production from your census, it orders less of what gets thrown away. Those savings are designed to exceed the fee.

What counts as managed spend?

Food, beverage, disposables and kitchen chemicals ordered through MagicMenu and delivered. Returns, credits, taxes and delivery fees are excluded. Emergency local buys can be logged but aren't charged.

Do I have to change distributors?

No. Orders go to the broadliner or specialty houses you use today, at your contract prices. Your rebates stay yours and show on your statement.

What if savings don't cover the fee?

Your fee never exceeds 80% of verified savings. Every quarter we compare your net cost to the baseline set during your pilot and credit any difference.A17

Is there a cap on what MagicMenu earns from my purchases?

Yes. Everything MagicMenu earns on your food and supply purchases, from you and from suppliers, stays at or below 3% of purchase price. Each vendor payment is disclosed to you in writing every year, as federal rules require for skilled nursing facilities.

Who pays the partner-funded part?

Participating distributors and manufacturers. Each partner payment is disclosed on your statement. Partner money never changes which product we recommend.

Are diet and allergen features extra?

No. IDDSI levels, allergen tracking and substitution checks are on every plan, including Starter.

Can I use my own tablets or screens?

Yes. Station screens run in any modern browser. E-ink cards and signs need a MagicMenu base station.

What about guest meals and the café?

MagicMenu Pay handles card payments for guest and family meals, the café, catering and private dining. It works alongside the resident dining plan, which needs no card at all.

What happens to Starter hardware if I leave?

The Cottage kit comes with a 24-month procurement term. Leave early and you can buy the kit at a prorated price or return it.

How long does setup take?

Most single communities go live in about four weeks. We load menus, recipes and diet orders, connect your distributor, and train staff on site or remotely.

Prices in US dollars for new US communities. Managed-procurement rates apply to the delivered, non-returned invoice value of food and supplies routed through MagicMenu, and exclude taxes and delivery fees. Volume bands use trailing-12-month managed spend across the account. Partner credits depend on participating distributor and manufacturer programs, which vary by region. Hardware financing and partner-funded pricing require approval. Starter hardware requires a 24-month managed-procurement term. Savings shown are estimates. Actual results depend on menus, census and purchasing history. Brand names of distributors belong to their owners and do not imply partnership. MagicMenu Pay rates apply to card transactions only.

Pricing notes: assumptions and sources
  1. A1 · Starter rate 2.75%. Sits at the top of MagicMenu's hybrid-model fee band (1.50–2.75%, 3.0% ceiling). Mirrors the restaurant-POS norm of charging no-subscription customers about 0.6 pt more per transaction. MagicMenu Hybrid Revenue Model, Aug 2026; NerdWallet POS review, Aug 2026.
  2. A2 · Paid-plan base rates of 2.25%, 1.95% and 1.60%, with Enterprise from 1.25%. Matches the hybrid model's marginal volume tiers (2.25% → 1.25%). Not market-tested.
  3. A3 · Volume bands ($250K, $1M and $5M of annual managed spend) and the step-downs within them. Modeling assumption.
  4. A4 · Core at $69/mo per community. Matches the published price of the leading restaurant POS's entry subscription. Fits the $500–$1,200 per location per year planning range in the SKU-neutral model.
  5. A5 · Build Your Own subscriptions of $149–$349/mo. Assumption. The restaurant benchmark quotes this tier privately.
  6. A6 · Partner credit up to 1.00 pt , applied to the 60% of spend assumed to be on partner-contracted items. Anchored to healthcare GPO admin fees: a 3% safe-harbor ceiling, with a volume-weighted average of 1–2% (GAO-15-13). Foodservice runs about 2–5%, undisclosed (MagicMenu GPO landscape report). No partner contracts are signed yet.
  7. A7 · Partner-funded path: MagicMenu earns about 1.25% of managed spend, paid entirely by distributors and manufacturers, and the operator pays 0%. Assumes a mature partner network. The SKU-neutral model's early-stage ladder is 10–50 bps.
  8. A8 · Savings rates default to 4.0% of managed spend: 1.75% waste, 1.25% contract-price compliance, 1.0% pars and substitutions. Labor savings are excluded. Range across MagicMenu models: 3.0% (Hybrid Revenue Model) to 3–8% (Take-Rate Model) to a 4.5–10% planning stack (Safe Plate report). Per Financial Model v03, the fee may not exceed verified savings ÷ 1.25, so the estimator caps the rate there. Not yet validated by a MagicMenu pilot.
  9. A9 · Supplies add 10% to food spend (disposables, chemicals, smallwares). Assumption.
  10. A10 · 90% of spend routed through MagicMenu. The SKU-neutral model assumes about 95% at maturity.
  11. A11 · $11.00 food cost per resident-day for premium senior living. Benchmarks: ANFP 2021 senior-living average $6.52 ($5.57–$8.25), via a national foodservice distributor; ANFP 2025 SNF median $8.00; one premium operator budgets $13,500 per unit per year (Senior Housing News, May 2024).
  12. A12 · E-ink hardware prices. Estimated from retail electronic-shelf-label and e-paper signage pricing. Supplier quotes needed.
  13. A13 · 0% financing over 24 months. Mirrors the restaurant-POS financing model. Needs a financing partner.
  14. A14 · Add-on prices. Set near reported restaurant-POS add-on prices: online ordering about $75/mo, catering about $100/mo, payroll $69/mo plus per-employee fees. Senior-living modules adjusted upward for clinical integration.
  15. A15 · MagicMenu Pay rates of 2.49% + 15¢ in person and 3.50% + 15¢ online. Copied from reported restaurant-POS card rates. Requires a payment-facilitator partner.
  16. A16 · Cottage kit included on Starter with a 24-month term. Hardware cost of about $3,300 is recovered in roughly 12 months of Starter fees at 100 residents.
  17. A17 · Savings guarantee. Follows the hybrid model's net-landed-cost gate: the fee applies only when net cost after the fee is below the accepted baseline. Legal review needed.
  18. A18 · EHR / EMR integrations (such as the major long-term-care clinical record systems) are on the roadmap. Not yet built.

Put your kitchen on MagicMenu for $0 a month

Run a 90-day pilot with one community. We set a cost baseline from your invoices, run the kitchen on MagicMenu, and report the savings before any fee applies.

Start a pilotBook a demo
What the pilot includes Baseline audit of 90 days of invoices Cottage e-ink kit, installed Menus, recipes and diet orders loaded Weekly savings report against baseline Talk to sales: sales@magicmenu.ai
MagicMenu

Complex needs.
Simpler kitchens.

dusty@magicmenu.ai

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MagicMenu provides operational and informational support, not clinical, medical, or nutritional advice. Allergen-screened menus are built from ingredient screens against currently available product data; unknown data never passes a plate. They are subject to verification, and to the operator's own cross-contact controls, which reduce but cannot eliminate risk. Final ingredient, service, and guest-safety decisions rest with the operator. Guest information is handled under written agreements and appropriate privacy safeguards.

MAGIC MENU™ software is provided by MagicMenu, Inc.

Illustrative people, food and kitchen images are concepts. Actual photographs and product outputs are identified in their captions.

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