Your POS system contains a goldmine of data about your food cost, but most entrepreneurs only look at daily revenue. By doing a few smart checks in your POS data every day, you'll immediately see where your profit is leaking. In this article, you'll learn which figures to track and how to spot food cost problems early.
Which POS data helps with food cost control?
Your POS system registers more than just revenue. This data is worth its weight in gold for your food cost:
- Number of dishes sold per item - how many pastas, steaks, salads
- Revenue per dish - what each dish brings in
- Mix shifts - are you selling more cheap or expensive dishes
- Daily patterns - which days are different than normal
💡 Example:
Yesterday you sold:
- 25x steak at €32 = €800
- 40x pasta at €18 = €720
- 15x fish at €28 = €420
Total: €1,940 revenue with 80 covers = €24.25 average check
Daily food cost check with POS data
Every morning you check these 4 points in your POS:
1. Compare revenue with number of covers
Is your average check higher or lower than normal? Lower check could mean guests are choosing cheaper dishes.
2. Check your bestsellers from yesterday
Which 5 dishes went out the door most often? If this suddenly changes, investigate why.
3. Spot unusual sales mix
Are you suddenly selling much more of a dish with high food cost? Then your total food cost goes up.
4. Compare with last week
Same day last week: how much revenue, how many covers? Big differences need explanation.
⚠️ Watch out:
A POS system doesn't show food cost percentages. It only shows WHAT you sold. You need to know what each dish costs to spot problems.
Signals that warn about your food cost
These patterns in your POS data point to food cost problems:
- Revenue rises, but profit doesn't - possibly too high food cost
- Bestseller changes suddenly - maybe the kitchen is giving bigger portions
- Average check drops structurally - guests are choosing cheaper options
- Many cancellations of expensive dishes - possibly a quality issue
💡 Example of a warning signal:
Normal week: 30% steak, 50% pasta, 20% fish
This week: 15% steak, 70% pasta, 15% fish
Pasta has 25% food cost, steak 35%. More pasta = lower food cost. But why are guests buying less steak?
Weekly POS data analysis
Every week you do a deeper analysis:
Top 10 dishes of the week
Which dishes generated the most revenue? Check if these are also your most profitable dishes.
Revenue per day compared
Which days were strong/weak? Patterns help with purchasing and planning.
Average check trend
Is your average check rising or falling over weeks? Falling trend can mask food cost problems.
💡 Practical example:
Week 1: 500 covers, €12,500 revenue = €25 average check
Week 2: 520 covers, €12,480 revenue = €24 average check
More guests, same revenue = lower average check. Investigate: cheaper dishes? Smaller portions? Fewer side dishes?
Combine POS data with cost price data
Your POS system shows sales, but not what dishes cost. For real food cost control, you combine both:
- POS data: how much sold per dish
- Cost price data: what each dish costs in ingredients
- Combination: total food cost from yesterday
Many entrepreneurs use an app like KitchenNmbrs to track cost prices and combine them with sales figures from their POS.
How do you set up daily POS control? (step by step)
Determine your check time
Choose a fixed time every day, for example in the morning at 10:00 before you go shopping. Check yesterday's figures in your POS system.
Create a control checklist
Write down which figures you want to see daily: yesterday's revenue, number of covers, top 5 bestsellers, average check. Print this out or put it on your phone.
Compare with last week
Check the same day last week in your POS system. Big differences (more than 20% variance) deserve attention. Note why it was different.
Link to your cost prices
Combine your sales figures with what you know about cost prices. If your bestseller has a high food cost, pay extra attention to those sales figures.
✨ Pro tip
Check your top 3 bestsellers from yesterday every morning. If one of these dishes has a high food cost (above 35%), pay extra attention to portion size in the kitchen.
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
Does my POS system automatically show my food cost percentage?
No, most POS systems only show sales figures. You need to track yourself what each dish costs in ingredients to calculate your food cost.
How often should I check my POS data for food cost?
Daily 5 minutes for the basic check (revenue, covers, bestsellers). Weekly 30 minutes for deeper analysis of trends and patterns.
What if my POS system doesn't have detailed reports?
Even simple POS systems show daily revenue and often number of transactions. This is enough to calculate your average check and spot trends.
Can I link POS data to my cost price calculation?
Manually yes: note your bestsellers from the POS and check the cost price of those dishes. Some apps like KitchenNmbrs help automate this.
Which POS data is most important for food cost control?
Number of dishes sold per item and revenue per dish. With this you can see which dishes are popular and calculate food cost impact.
📚 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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