Most restaurant owners think they need to track every single dish's food cost individually. That's actually backwards - fixed targets per category give you way better control without the endless spreadsheet headaches. Set 25% for meat, 20% for fish, 30% for desserts, and you'll spot problems before they kill your margins.
Why working per category makes sense
Different dish types behave completely differently. Meat dishes let you charge premium prices, so you can hit lower food cost percentages. But salads? You're stuck with cheaper ingredients and can't charge much, so higher percentages are normal.
- Meat and fish: typically 25-30% food cost
- Pasta and risotto: typically 20-25% food cost
- Salads and starters: typically 30-35% food cost
- Desserts: typically 25-30% food cost
Managing by category means you don't waste time analyzing every single dish. One quick glance shows you exactly which areas need your attention.
💡 Example:
Restaurant De Smaak sets these targets:
- Meat: 28% food cost
- Fish: 30% food cost
- Pasta: 22% food cost
- Salads: 32% food cost
In week 12, owner Marco notices fish hit 35%. He digs into purchasing records and finds salmon prices jumped 20%. Two days later, he bumps the menu price from €24.50 to €26.50.
How to determine the right targets per category
Start with your current numbers - no guessing involved. Grab your 5 top-selling dishes from each category and calculate their average food cost. That's your baseline.
Then scope out your competition. If you're charging €32 for steak while competitors get €38, you've got room to push for lower food cost percentages. It's the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss - pricing power varies dramatically by location and concept.
💡 Example calculation:
Bistro Het Plein analyzes their meat dishes:
- Steak: 26% food cost (sells well)
- Ribeye: 31% food cost (sells moderately)
- Tenderloin: 24% food cost (sells excellently)
- Lamb shank: 29% food cost (sells well)
Average: 27.5% - this becomes their target for meat
Monitoring and adjustment per week
Check your food cost per category weekly. Not individual dishes - just the combined totals for all meat dishes, all fish dishes, etc.
Category running over target? Here's what to investigate:
- Did supplier prices spike?
- Are portions getting too generous?
- More trim waste than usual?
- New expensive dishes throwing off the average?
⚠️ Note:
Always calculate based on prices excluding VAT. That €28.50 dish becomes €26.15 at 9% VAT. Your food cost percentages should always use the ex-VAT selling price.
Benefits of categories vs. individual dishes
Massive time savings: Check 5 categories instead of 40 dishes. That's 80% less time spent on analysis.
Faster problem-solving: You immediately know which category needs fixing without digging through every recipe.
Sharper focus: If meat consistently runs high, you know to examine your supplier contracts or portion control. No need to analyze pasta recipes.
💡 Practical example:
Eatery De Vrienden runs 35 menu items. Owner Petra tracks 6 categories instead:
- Meat: target 27%, actual 29% (action: check portion size)
- Fish: target 30%, actual 28% (on track)
- Vegetarian: target 25%, actual 32% (action: check avocado prices)
- Pasta: target 20%, actual 19% (on track)
- Salads: target 35%, actual 38% (action: raise menu price)
- Desserts: target 28%, actual 26% (on track)
Petra identifies exactly where to focus in under 10 minutes.
Typical targets per category
These numbers reflect what's standard across Dutch restaurants:
- Meat (steak, ribeye, etc.): 25-30%
- Fish (salmon, sea bass, etc.): 28-32%
- Poultry: 22-28%
- Pasta and risotto: 18-25%
- Vegetarian mains: 25-35%
- Salads: 30-40%
- Starters: 25-35%
- Desserts: 25-30%
⚠️ Note:
These are starting points, not rigid rules. Fine dining restaurants often hit lower percentages thanks to premium pricing. Casual lunch spots might run slightly higher due to price sensitivity.
How do you set food cost targets per category?
Analyze your current figures
Calculate the average food cost of your 3-5 best-selling dishes per category. This becomes your starting point. Also check how much revenue you generate per category per week.
Set realistic targets
Take your current average and subtract 1-2 percentage points as your target. Too ambitious makes it unachievable. Meat can often go to 25-28%, pasta to 20-23%.
Monitor weekly per category
Check the total food cost per category every week, not per individual dish. Is a category above target? Then you look at supplier prices, portions or menu price.
✨ Pro tip
Focus your first 90 days on just your 3 highest-revenue categories. Once those hit target consistently, you'll have 75% of your food cost locked down. The smaller categories can wait.
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In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
How many categories should I create?
Start with 4-6 categories: meat, fish, pasta/rice, vegetarian, starters and desserts. More than that gets messy, fewer gives you no useful insights.
What if one dish within a category is way off target?
If 80% of your meat dishes hit 27% but one dish runs 40%, fix that outlier. The category system actually helps you spot these problem dishes faster than tracking everything individually.
Should I adjust targets when supplier prices increase?
Yes, but do it strategically. If beef jumps 15%, you can either bump your meat target by 2-3 points or raise menu prices. Don't just absorb the cost hit.
How often should I review my category targets?
Quarterly reviews work well for most places. Seasonal price swings, new suppliers, and menu changes can all shift what's realistic for each category.
Can I set different targets for different seasons?
Absolutely smart move. Fish costs more in winter, vegetables drop in summer. Seasonal targets give you a much clearer picture of actual performance.
What's the minimum sales volume needed per category?
You need at least €2,000 monthly sales per category to get meaningful data. Below that, one expensive dish can skew your whole percentage.
Should I track alcohol separately from food categories?
Yes, alcohol deserves its own tracking since margins are completely different. Wine typically runs 25-35% cost, beer around 20-25%, spirits 15-20%.
📚 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.
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