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📊 Knowledge base category

Basic knowledge and formulas

Learn the fundamental formulas and calculation methods for hospitality.

How do I start calculating the cost of my first dish?

Over 60% of restaurants fail within their first year, and inaccurate food costing plays a major role in these closures. Your dish costs determine if you're maki...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 35 📅 22 Feb 2026
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What's the benefit of standard portions for my margins?

Most restaurants think generous portions keep customers happy, yet they're bleeding money with every oversized plate. Your team might be giving 250g steaks inst...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 29 📅 22 Feb 2026
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What's the benefit of fixed food cost targets per category?

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...

⏱️ 3 min read 👁️ 22 📅 22 Feb 2026
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What is the benefit of a simple calculation system in the kitchen?

Over 60% of restaurants fail within their first three years, often due to poor cost control. Many restaurant owners work with estimates and gut feeling, which c...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 7 📅 22 Feb 2026
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What's the risk if you don't link your inventory to your numbers?

Nearly 70% of restaurants lose money daily through inventory gaps they can't see. Most owners count their stock but never connect it to actual sales data. Money...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 14 📅 22 Feb 2026
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What's the risk if I let purchasing run without control?

Restaurants with zero purchasing oversight typically hemorrhage €17,000 annually through missed price hikes and quality failures. You're essentially flying blin...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 21 📅 22 Feb 2026
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What's the risk if you don't know which dishes are profitable?

Are you serving customers all day but barely breaking even at month's end? If you don't know which dishes are profitable, you're flying blind on revenue while p...

⏱️ 3 min read 👁️ 32 📅 22 Feb 2026
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What's the risk if you don't monitor your margins over time?

Unmonitored margins work like a slow leak in your kitchen's gas line - everything seems fine until the damage becomes catastrophic. Your dining room stays busy...

⏱️ 3 min read 👁️ 27 📅 22 Feb 2026
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What's the risk of setting your menu prices by gut feeling?

I'll admit it - for years, I priced my menu items based on what "felt right" rather than what the numbers actually showed. This approach cost me thousands in hi...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 17 📅 22 Feb 2026
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What's the risk if you don't know your food costs?

A popular bistro sold 50 steaks daily at €28 each, with the owner believing he earned €8 profit per steak. Reality? His actual profit was €5.19 less per portion...

⏱️ 3 min read 👁️ 17 📅 22 Feb 2026
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Why is food cost important for the future of your restaurant?

Food cost is the key to your restaurant's future. While some restaurants thrive year after year, others quietly vanish from the market—the difference often lies...

⏱️ 3 min read 👁️ 18 📅 22 Feb 2026
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How do I recognize from my numbers that I'm selling too many low-margin dishes?

I'll admit something most restaurant owners discover the hard way. Your sales are climbing, but profit margins keep shrinking. The culprit? You're unknowingly p...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 17 📅 22 Feb 2026
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What is a realistic percentage of labor costs from your revenue?

Labor costs are often your biggest expense after food costs. While many hospitality entrepreneurs stress over food margins, they often overlook labor percentage...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 30 📅 22 Feb 2026
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How do I recognize from my numbers that I'm too dependent on one dish?

Most restaurant owners discover their over-dependence on a single dish only after it's too late. One supplier issue, seasonal change, or staff departure can tan...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 35 📅 22 Feb 2026
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How do I recognize from my numbers that I have room to invest?

Running a restaurant is like driving a car - just because the speedometer shows high numbers doesn't mean the engine is healthy. Four financial indicators revea...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 18 📅 22 Feb 2026
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How do I recognize from my numbers that my concept is no longer working?

Like a car engine that sounds fine but burns too much fuel, your restaurant might appear busy while quietly bleeding money. This disconnect between activity and...

⏱️ 4 min read 👁️ 33 📅 22 Feb 2026
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How do I recognize from my numbers that my target audience has changed?

Most restaurant owners think they know their customers, but the numbers often reveal a completely different story. Your target audience can shift gradually with...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 34 📅 22 Feb 2026
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How can you tell from your numbers that your prices are outdated?

Every quarter, restaurant owners miss thousands in profit because their prices haven't caught up with rising costs. Suppliers bump their rates 2-3 times yearly,...

⏱️ 3 min read 👁️ 26 📅 22 Feb 2026
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How do I recognize from my numbers that there might be theft in the kitchen?

Detecting kitchen theft is like being a detective with spreadsheets as your magnifying glass. Those small, consistent leaks often hide in plain sight within you...

⏱️ 3 min read 👁️ 28 📅 22 Feb 2026
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How do I recognize from my numbers that my staff is eating off the books?

I'll admit it - discovering staff eating off the books was one of my most uncomfortable realizations as a restaurant owner. Your POS system won't flag this issu...

⏱️ 2 min read 👁️ 12 📅 22 Feb 2026
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🔥 Most read in this category

The most viewed articles in Basic knowledge and formulas

1
How do I calculate the margin on kids menus?
⏱️ 3 min · 👁️ 121 times read
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2
How do I calculate food cost when there's waste in the kitchen?
⏱️ 2 min · 👁️ 78 times read
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3
What is the cost price per dish in a restaurant?
⏱️ 3 min · 👁️ 62 times read
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