73% of independent restaurants underestimate their actual food costs by at least 3-5 percentage points. Various recipe costing options exist in the Netherlands, ranging from Excel spreadsheets to specialized hospitality software. Your choice depends on business size, budget, and how much time you'll dedicate to cost calculations.
Excel: The DIY option
Most hospitality entrepreneurs begin with Excel for recipe costing. You'll create custom tables featuring ingredients, current prices, and portion sizes.
? Example Excel calculation:
Pasta Carbonara (1 portion):
- Pasta 125g: €0.28
- Bacon 50g: €0.95
- Egg 1 piece: €0.25
- Parmesan 20g: €0.80
- Cream 50ml: €0.15
Total cost price: €2.43
Excel advantages:
- Free (if you have Office)
- Fully customizable
- You maintain control over all formulas
Excel disadvantages:
- Time-consuming to set up
- Prone to errors with manual entry
- No automatic updates of supplier prices
- Difficult to share with staff
Specialized hospitality software
Several Dutch and international tools focus specifically on hospitality cost calculation.
a competing platform
- Designed for: chains with 10+ locations
- Focus on: central management, extensive analytics
- Strengths: supplier integrations, advanced reporting
- Price: from €300+ per month
a competing platform (international)
- Designed for: restaurants with POS integration
- Focus on: complete restaurant management
- Strengths: all-in-one platform
- Price: from €150+ per month
a competing platform
- Dutch hospitality software
- Focus on: inventory and purchasing
- Strengths: Dutch market, HACCP modules
- Price: on request
⚠️ Note:
Many large systems target chains and can prove overly complex and expensive for independent hospitality entrepreneurs.
Tools like KitchenNmbrs: For independent hospitality
Some solutions position themselves specifically for smaller hospitality businesses wanting cost control without enterprise-level complexity.
Designed for:
- Independent restaurants, bistros, cafés
- 1 to 5 locations
- Entrepreneurs who want quick insights without hassle
What these tools do:
- Automatic cost price calculation per recipe
- Food cost percentage in real-time
- Ingredient library with price management
- HACCP registration and temperature control
- Allergen registration per dish
? Example calculation:
You enter your recipe once. The app automatically calculates:
- Cost price per portion: €2.43
- Food cost at €12.50 selling price: 21.3%
- Minimum selling price for 30% food cost: €11.63
Update an ingredient price? All recipes recalculate automatically.
I've seen this mistake cost the average restaurant EUR 200-400 per month: owners estimate portion costs instead of calculating them precisely, then wonder why profits don't match expectations.
Typical pricing: From €24.99 per month
Choosing the right tool
Choose Excel if:
- Your budget is extremely limited
- You only have a few dishes
- You enjoy maintaining control over formulas
- You have time to maintain the system
Choose large software (a competing platform) if:
- You operate a chain with 10+ locations
- You handle central purchasing
- You need extensive reporting
- Budget isn't a concern (€300+ per month)
Choose mid-range solutions if:
- You own 1-5 businesses
- You want quick control over food cost
- You're seeking an affordable, simple solution
- You also want to manage HACCP digitally
? Practical example:
Restaurant with 40 dishes on the menu:
- Excel: 8-12 hours to set up, 2-3 hours per month maintenance
- Mid-range tools: 2-3 hours to set up, 30 minutes per month maintenance
- Large software: 1-2 days implementation, complex training required
The reality of recipe costing
Most hospitality entrepreneurs estimate their cost prices rather than calculating them accurately. This frequently results in selling prices that are too low and profit leakage.
⚠️ Note:
A 2 percentage point difference in food cost equals €10,000 difference in profit at €500,000 annual turnover.
The most crucial factor isn't which tool you select, but that you begin measuring. A simple tool you actually use beats an advanced system you ignore.
Related articles
- How can KitchenNmbrs be a leaner alternative if you find...
- How do you choose between a competing platform, YourBI and...
- What's the difference between a competing platform and a mobile food...
- How can KitchenNmbrs be a cost-effective alternative for...
- How does KitchenNmbrs compare to a competing platform as a leaner...
Compare yourself?
Try KitchenNmbrs free for 7 days
Discover why hospitality entrepreneurs choose KitchenNmbrs. No credit card required.
Start free trial →How do you choose the right recipe costing tool?
Determine your business size and budget
Count your locations and calculate how much you can spend on software per month. For 1-2 businesses €25-50 per month is realistic, for chains €200+ per month.
List your current pain points
Don't know what dishes cost? Does cost price calculation take too long? Making mistakes in Excel? This determines which features you really need.
Test the tool with your own recipes
Try free trials with 3-5 of your most popular dishes. Check if the tool is easy to use and the calculations match your expectations.
✨ Pro tip
Focus on your 8 highest-margin dishes within the first 2 weeks of using any costing tool. These dishes often hide the biggest profit opportunities and give you immediate ROI on your time investment.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
Is Excel sufficient for recipe costing?
What does recipe costing software cost on average?
Can I link recipe costing software to my POS system?
How long does it take to set up recipe costing software?
Do I have to enter all recipes at once?
How often should I update ingredient prices in my costing tool?
Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
More in this category
Related questions
Explore more topics
See how KitchenNmbrs works.
No vendor lock, no modules. A mobile food cost calculator + HACCP. Try free for 7 days.
Start free trial →