How Do the Chef App, Chef Portal, and Payout Formula Work Together?

At CookUnity, we know it can be tricky to track how everything connects—from production numbers to weekly payouts. This guide breaks down how the Chef App, Chef Portal, and payout formula all fit together, so you have a clear view of how your work translates into earnings.

Let’s start with a few key terms you’ll see 👇

🧾 Key Terms

• Total Production:
  The number of meals your team is assigned to cook on a specific kitchen day.
• Sales:
  The actual number of meals ordered by customers, recorded at the cutoff time. These numbers can shift slightly due to last-minute changes or cancellations.
  ➡️ Chef payouts are based on Total Sales, not Total Production.
• Kitchen Week:
  Runs Thursday to Wednesday. This is the timeframe shown in the Portfolio tab (coming soon to the Chef Portal).
• Payout Week:
  Runs Sunday to Saturday. This is the date range used to calculate your weekly payout. You'll see these totals in the My Revenue tab of the Chef Portal.
• Transference:
  To help balance high-demand days, meals produced on one day may be counted toward sales on another. If a day looks lower in sales than expected, those units are likely spread across the next 2–3 days.
• Buffer:
  Sometimes 1–2 units of a SKU are removed from a production day for operational or risk-related reasons, like shortages or managing kitchen capacity.

Why Might My Sales or Payouts Look Off?

Here are the most common reasons things might not line up at first glance:

1. 💰 You’re Paid for Sales, Not Production

Even if your team cooks a set number of meals, your payout is tied to what was actually ordered by customers.

2. ⚖️ Transference Can Shift Sales Between Days

Sales data may shift slightly within your Thursday–Wednesday kitchen week to balance production. Look at the full week to get the complete picture.

3. 📆 Payouts Are Based on Delivery Date

You’re paid based on when the customer receives the meal—not when it was cooked.
For example:

• If you cook on Saturday and the meal is delivered on Sunday, it shows up in the next payout week (Sunday–Saturday).
• So if Saturday looks light, those numbers should appear at the start of the following week.

Which Tool Shows What?

• The Chef App is your day-to-day tool for managing production tasks and viewing what you need to prep.
• The Chef Portal is where you get the bigger picture—tracking sales, payouts, feedback, and performance over time.

Both tools are designed to give you the info you need—whether you're in the kitchen or planning ahead.

Still have questions? We’ve got your back—reach out to us anytime at [e-mail].