Checking your food cost between shifts is like taking your restaurant's pulse - it only takes 5 minutes but tells you everything about your financial health. Many entrepreneurs wait until month-end to see how they're performing, but by then it's too late to adjust. Quick checks between shifts reveal immediately if your dishes remain profitable.
Why check between shifts?
Your supplier quietly bumps up prices. Your chef starts giving slightly bigger portions. Your new cook reaches for pricier ingredients. These changes all impact your food cost, but you won't notice until you actually check.
⚠️ Note:
A food cost that creeps from 30% to 35% costs you €25,000 extra per year on €500,000 annual revenue. That's why regular checks matter.
The 5-minute food cost check
You don't need to audit every single dish. Focus on your 3-5 top sellers. They generate 60-80% of your revenue anyway.
💡 Example: Quick check pasta carbonara
Menu price: €18.50 incl. VAT → €16.97 excl. VAT
- Pasta: €0.45
- Pancetta: €2.10
- Egg: €0.30
- Parmesan: €1.20
- Cream: €0.65
- Oil, pepper: €0.15
Total ingredients: €4.85 → Food cost: 28.6%
Signs that your food cost has crept up
There are several red flags you can spot without doing any math:
- Packed house, empty pockets: Revenue looks solid but profit disappoints
- Supplier invoices climbing: Same quantities ordered, higher bills paid
- Portions looking generous: Your chef's being heavy-handed with ingredients
- Fresh faces in kitchen: New staff haven't learned your portion standards yet
I've seen this mistake cost the average restaurant EUR 200-400 per month - operators notice something's off but delay investigating until the damage accumulates over several weeks.
What do you do if your food cost is too high?
You've got three moves if your food cost exceeds 35%:
💡 Example: Bringing food cost down from 38%
Your steak costs €12 in ingredients, sells for €28.44 excl. VAT:
- Option 1: Raise price to €34.29 → 35% food cost
- Option 2: Reduce ingredients to €9.95 → 35% food cost
- Option 3: Combination: price to €31 + ingredients to €10.85
Tools that help with quick checks
Manual calculations eat up time. That's why many operators use apps to track food costs automatically. You'll spot expensive dishes the moment they cross your threshold.
⚠️ Note:
Always calculate using your selling price excl. VAT. Menu card prices include 9% VAT for food items.
Make it a routine
Smart entrepreneurs check their food cost weekly. Not because they don't trust their team, but because catching small problems early prevents big losses. A 5-minute check can save you hundreds of euros monthly.
How do you check food cost in 5 minutes?
Get your 3 best-selling dishes
Look at your POS system or note which dishes are sold most often. These make up the largest part of your revenue, so this is where your biggest risk lies.
Add up the ingredient costs
Get your latest supplier invoice and add up what all ingredients for one portion cost. Don't forget anything: oil, butter, spices, and garnish too.
Calculate your food cost percentage
Divide the ingredient costs by your selling price excl. VAT and multiply by 100. If you're above 35%, action is needed.
✨ Pro tip
Run a quick food cost check within 2 hours of receiving any supplier invoice. Prices shift more frequently than most operators realize, and catching changes immediately saves you from weeks of profit erosion.
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
How often should I check my food cost?
Weekly checks for your top sellers work perfectly. Monthly is bare minimum. The more frequently you check, the faster you'll spot issues before they become expensive problems.
What's an acceptable food cost percentage?
Most restaurants should target 28% to 35% food cost. Anything above 35% usually means you're losing money on that dish.
Do I need to check all dishes?
Focus on your 3-5 bestsellers instead. They generate 60-80% of your revenue, so controlling these gives you the biggest impact.
What if my supplier raises their prices?
You have three moves: increase menu prices, source cheaper ingredients, or reduce portion sizes. Usually a combination approach works best without shocking customers.
Can't I just estimate food cost?
Estimating is risky business. Many operators think they're running 25% food cost but discover they're actually at 40%. Only real calculations give you certainty.
Should I include labor costs in my food cost calculation?
No, food cost only covers ingredients and raw materials. Labor is tracked separately as a different percentage of revenue, typically 25-35% depending on your service style.
📚 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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