Ever wonder if your busiest hours actually bring in the most profit? Your lunch might generate 40% of revenue with half the staff, while dinner brings crowds but higher costs. Breaking down performance by day parts reveals where your real money comes from.
Why day part analysis matters
Most restaurant owners focus on daily totals. But that's like judging a book by its cover. What if your lunch crowd delivers 40% of revenue with just 20% of your workforce? Or your dinner rush brings big numbers but food costs eat up the margins?
💡 Example:
Restaurant De Eik operates three shifts:
- Lunch (12:00-15:00): €450 revenue, 2 staff members
- Happy hour (17:00-19:00): €280 revenue, 2 staff members
- Dinner (19:00-22:00): €920 revenue, 4 staff members
Dinner looks like the winner. But lunch actually delivers €225 per staff member versus €230 for dinner - nearly identical efficiency.
Calculate revenue per day part
Your POS system holds the answers. Most registers can slice data by time periods. Start by mapping out your day parts:
- Breakfast: 8:00-11:00
- Lunch: 12:00-15:00
- Happy hour: 17:00-19:00
- Dinner: 19:00-22:00
- Late night: 22:00-01:00
Track revenue across each segment for a full week. You'll spot patterns and can build reliable averages from there.
Calculate costs per day part
Revenue tells half the story. Profit tells the truth. So break down your expenses by time slot too:
💡 Example calculation:
Lunch shift (4 hours):
- Revenue: €450
- Staff: 2 × €15/hour × 4 hours = €120
- Food cost estimate (30%): €123
- Other expenses (10% of revenue): €45
Net profit: €450 - €288 = €162 (36%)
Compare profitability
Build a dashboard showing these metrics for each day part:
- Total revenue
- Customer count
- Average ticket (revenue ÷ customers)
- Labor costs
- Food cost estimate
- Profit margin
⚠️ Note:
Food costs shift throughout the day. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, lunch typically runs 25-30% (soups, salads) while dinner hits 35-40% (proteins, complex dishes). Factor this into your comparisons.
Actions based on your analysis
Once you know your profit champions, you can make smart moves:
- High-profit periods: Boost marketing, extend hours, add staff capacity
- Money losers: Revamp the menu, cut labor, or eliminate the shift entirely
- Underperformers: Test new dishes, adjust pricing, streamline operations
💡 Example action:
Restaurant De Eik found their happy hour (17:00-19:00) bleeding money due to tiny average tickets. They added bitterballen platters and shareables. Result: 40% revenue jump during that window.
Digital support
Manual number-crunching eats up precious time. Food cost calculators like KitchenNmbrs can automate the heavy lifting:
- Real-time food cost tracking per dish
- Automated day part reporting
- Profitability breakdowns by time slot
- Trend analysis across multiple weeks
You get actionable insights without drowning in spreadsheets.
How do you analyze your day parts? (step by step)
Gather revenue data by time period
Pull revenue by hour for a full week from your POS system. Group these into logical day parts like lunch, happy hour, and dinner. Calculate the average per day part.
Calculate costs per day part
Add up: staff costs (number of staff × hourly wage × number of hours), estimated food cost (30-35% of revenue), and other costs (rent, utilities, roughly 10% of revenue).
Compare profitability
Subtract all costs from revenue per day part. Calculate profit percentage: (profit / revenue) × 100. Rank your day parts from most to least profitable.
✨ Pro tip
Track profit per day part over 4-week periods to spot seasonal trends. Your Tuesday lunch might consistently outperform Friday dinner once you crunch the numbers properly.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my POS system can generate reports by time period?
Nearly every modern POS has this built in. Hunt for 'reports', 'analytics', or 'time-based data' in your system's menu. Can't find it? Your POS provider can walk you through it in five minutes.
What if I don't have separate day parts but am open continuously?
Create your own time blocks based on traffic patterns. Try morning (8-12), afternoon (12-17), evening (17-22). Analyze these artificial segments to uncover hidden trends in your operation.
Do I need to calculate food cost separately per day part?
Absolutely, since lunch menus differ drastically from dinner offerings. If separate calculations seem overwhelming, start with 30-35% estimates but know your accuracy will suffer.
What if a day part is unprofitable?
First, try cost reduction (fewer staff) or revenue boosters (menu changes, targeted promotions). Still bleeding money? Consider shutting down that time slot entirely.
📚 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
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (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.
Calculate it yourself with KitchenNmbrs
All the formulas you learn here — KitchenNmbrs calculates them automatically. Enter your ingredients and instantly see your food cost, margin, and selling price. Try it free for 14 days.
Start free trial →