Seeing your most important kitchen numbers in one place saves time and prevents surprises. Many restaurant owners jump between Excel, their POS system, and supplier portals to understand how their business is running. In this article, you'll learn which numbers you need to check daily and how to get them on one dashboard.
The 5 most important numbers for every day
If you can check these 5 numbers every morning in 2 minutes, you have control of your business:
- Revenue yesterday vs. the same day last week
- Number of covers and average check value
- Food cost % of your 3 top dishes
- Inventory value in cooler and freezer
- Waste yesterday in euros
💡 Example dashboard check:
Tuesday morning, 2 minutes to review:
- Revenue yesterday: €2,840 (last week Monday: €2,650)
- Covers: 89 (average check: €31.90)
- Food cost steak: 32% (was 28% last month)
- Inventory: €3,200 (last week: €3,450)
- Waste: €85 (mostly fish)
Action: Check why steak food cost has increased.
Why one dashboard makes more sense than separate systems
Many entrepreneurs use 5 different places for their numbers:
- POS system for revenue and covers
- Excel for cost prices
- Supplier portal for purchase prices
- Paper lists for inventory
- Memory for waste
Problem: you never see the complete picture. And by the time you've figured everything out, it's already 11:00 and lunch is starting.
⚠️ Heads up:
Numbers from different systems often don't match each other. Your POS system counts differently than your Excel, which leads you to draw wrong conclusions.
What your dashboard must show at minimum
A good kitchen dashboard shows you at a glance:
- Revenue trends: This week vs. last week, per day
- Food cost alerts: Which dishes are above 35%
- Inventory value: Total + per category (meat, fish, vegetables)
- Popular dishes: Top 5 sold + their profitability
- Waste tracker: What was thrown away and why
💡 Real-world example:
Restaurant De Smulhoek saw on their dashboard:
- Pasta carbonara: 127x sold, food cost 41%
- Steak: 89x sold, food cost 29%
- Salmon: 56x sold, food cost 38%
Conclusion: Pasta is popular but unprofitable. Raise price from €18 to €21.
Mobile vs. computer dashboard
Most restaurant owners aren't behind a computer all day. You want to check your numbers while walking through the kitchen, sitting in the car, or relaxing on the couch at home.
A mobile app therefore makes more sense than a desktop system. You always have your phone with you.
How often should you check?
- Daily (2 minutes): Revenue, covers, acute issues
- Weekly (10 minutes): Food cost trends, inventory development
- Monthly (30 minutes): Deeper analysis, price adjustments
💡 Timing tip:
Check your dashboard every morning at 9:00, before you start your mise-en-place. That way you can still make adjustments for the day.
KitchenNmbrs as a complete dashboard solution
KitchenNmbrs brings all your kitchen numbers together in one mobile app:
- Food cost per dish calculated automatically
- Revenue and popularity per dish
- Inventory value and waste tracking
- HACCP temperatures and tasks
- Everything mobile, always at hand
Instead of 5 different systems you have 1 app that shows you everything you need to run your kitchen profitably.
How do you set up a daily numbers dashboard?
Choose your 5 core numbers
Determine which numbers are most important for your business. Start with revenue, covers, food cost of top dishes, inventory value, and waste. More than 5 numbers becomes overwhelming.
Centralize your data
Make sure all numbers come into one system. Connect your POS system, update your purchase prices, and register your inventory in one place. Otherwise you'll keep comparing numbers that don't match.
Create a daily routine
Check your dashboard every morning at 9:00. Note what stands out and take immediate action on deviations. After 2 weeks this becomes automatic and you'll spot problems before they become big.
✨ Pro tip
Check your dashboard every day at the same time, for example at 9:00 before your mise-en-place. That way it becomes routine and you won't miss any important trends.
Calculate this yourself?
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
Which numbers are most important to check daily?
Revenue vs. last week, number of covers, food cost of your top dishes, inventory value, and waste. These 5 numbers give you immediate insight into the health of your business.
Can't I just use Excel for my dashboard?
Excel works, but you have to manually enter and update everything. An integrated system automatically pulls numbers from your POS system and calculates food cost directly from your recipes.
How long does it take to check a dashboard?
A good dashboard check takes 2 minutes. If it takes longer, you have too many numbers or your system is too complex. Keep it simple and actionable.
Should I view my dashboard on mobile or computer?
Mobile is more practical. You're not always behind a computer, but you always have your phone with you. That way you can check numbers while walking through the kitchen.
What if my numbers from different systems don't match?
Then you have an integration problem. POS system, Excel, and supplier portal count differently. An integrated system prevents this by calculating everything from one source.
📚 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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