State of Cod Fish Prices: Wholesale Restaurant Food Cost Trends

Cod fish is a versatile, delicious seafood option. Cod fillets are great baked, pan seared, and fried. Cod can be added into a seafood platter, served it as a fresh fish with lemon, fried it as a fish sandwich with french fries, and cured as salt cod.

Regardless of the application, seafood restaurant operators must keep track of wholesale restaurant cod prices. This empowers restaurant decision makers to adjust their menu prices and update recipe costs accordingly.

Restaurant cod fish price trends

Toast is the point of sale system built for restaurants.

We're able to calculate the average monthly prices that restaurants pay for cod seafood and other ingredients by using proprietary data from xtraCHEF by Toast, our invoice automation and recipe costing tool.

The average national price per pound of cod is $7.26 in August. This represents a 4% decrease month-over-month.

Restaurant serving sizes for cod are 6-8 ounces.

Here's the breakdown of recent MoM fluctuations in wholesale cod prices:

Here's a breakdown of wholesale restaurant cod price movements over the past six months:

Wholesale restaurant cod prices have been more or less falling since November 2022.

How restaurants can serve cod

Given its seeming security in the restaurant supply chain, operators looking to incorporate cod into their menu have a variety of options when it comes to appetizers and entrees. Cod is a versatile and mild-flavored fish that can be used in a range of delicious and crowd-pleasing dishes.

• For appetizers, restaurants can offer cod-based options such as cod fritters or fish cakes. These crispy, bite-sized treats are made by combining cooked cod with ingredients like breadcrumbs, herbs, and spices. They can be served with dipping sauces like tartar sauce or aioli, offering a delightful start to a meal.

• Another popular choice is cod ceviche, a refreshing and tangy appetizer that features raw cod marinated in citrus juice, along with ingredients like onions, cilantro, and chili peppers. Additional seafood can be incorporated as well, including mussels, calamari, and any other mild options from the fish market or local monger. The acidity of the citrus juice "cooks" the fish, resulting in a light and flavorful dish. It can be served with tortilla chips or crispy tostadas. 

• When it comes to entrees, restaurant operators can offer classic dishes like beer-battered cod and chips. This traditional British dish features cod fillets coated in a light and crispy beer batter, served with thick-cut fries. It's a hearty and satisfying option that is often paired with tartar sauce and a side of mushy peas.

• For a healthier and more contemporary option, restaurants can prepare grilled or roasted cod fillets. These can be marinated in flavorful herbs and spices, then cooked to perfection. Grilled or roasted cod can be served with a variety of sides, such as roasted veggies, salads, or a creamy risotto. It could also be cooked with Chinese flavors and incorporated into fried rice. Or cod could be poached and treated like a lobster roll.

Start tracking cod prices today

Cod is a sturdy, popular fish that can take most any flavors thrown at it. This popularity and durability is why it's critical that operators serving cod consistently track and incorporate cod prices into financial reports. 

Tracking restaurant ingredient costs requires operators to have a strong back-of-house foundation built on invoice automation.

Invoices are the single source of truth for restaurant costs — pinpointing prices and fluctuations for individual ingredients as well as paper goods, non-alcoholic beverages, and more. 

With accurate and up-to-date ingredient prices from invoices, operators can start calculating plate costs. Plate costing is a detailed exercise that zooms into the recipes and/or individual ingredients that make up a dish — requiring detailed recipe costs and portion costs for ingredients.

Costing exercises can help show how each component is contributing to the overall profitability of a dish or drink. And recipe costing software can help make it easier to calculate and achieve an ideal balance between portions and profits.