Every morning at 8 AM, restaurant owners across the country face the same question: did yesterday make us money? Most can't answer within five minutes. They're running blind, watching their margins disappear while everything looks busy and successful.
Signal 1: You don't know what yesterday brought in
You had a busy evening. Packed house. The chef could barely keep up. But can you now say how much profit you made yesterday?
💡 Example:
Yesterday you sold:
- 80 covers
- Revenue: €2,400
- But how much did the ingredients cost?
- How much was left over?
Without those numbers, you don't know if it was a good or bad evening.
If you can't answer these questions within 5 minutes, you're missing essential information to steer your business.
Signal 2: You're shocked by your supplier invoices
Every week again: that supplier invoice comes in higher than expected. You thought you'd ordered less, but the numbers don't lie.
⚠️ Watch out:
This happens when you order based on gut feeling instead of sales figures. You order too much of one thing, too little of another.
Signs that this is happening in your kitchen:
- You regularly throw away ingredients that are past their date
- You often have to order extra supplies mid-week
- Your food costs are rising, but your revenue isn't keeping pace
- You don't know how much inventory you have on hand
💡 Example:
Restaurant with 100 covers per day:
- Sells an average of 25 steaks per day
- Orders 30 pieces every week "just to be safe"
- Result: 5 pieces left over per week = €75 waste
- Per year: €3,900 in unnecessary purchases
Signal 3: Your food cost is a mystery
Ask yourself: what's the food cost of your three best-selling dishes? If you don't know, or if your answer starts with "roughly" or "I estimate", then you're missing crucial information.
Why this is dangerous:
- Suppliers regularly raise prices
- Your portions can get bigger without you noticing
- Seasonal products get more expensive
- Your competitors adjust their prices
💡 Example calculation:
Pasta carbonara - ingredients per portion:
- Pasta: €0.45
- Bacon: €1.80
- Cream: €0.35
- Egg: €0.25
- Parmesan: €0.85
- Other (butter, herbs): €0.40
Total: €4.10
Selling price: €16.50 incl. VAT = €15.14 excl. VAT
Food cost: 27.1% - that's great!
⚠️ Watch out:
Many entrepreneurs only calculate with main ingredients. Don't forget: oil, butter, herbs, garnish - everything that goes on the plate counts.
What you need to check daily
From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, I've seen that consistent daily monitoring prevents most financial surprises. Check these three things every morning:
- Yesterday's revenue vs. last week: Big difference? Find out why
- Inventory of top sellers: Enough ingredients for your most popular dishes?
- Waste from yesterday: What went in the trash and why?
This takes 10 minutes, but prevents you from flying blind.
The solution: One system for everything
The problem isn't that you don't want to know the numbers. The problem is that it takes too much time to gather them. Excel sheets, paper lists, different systems - it becomes a mess.
That's why many restaurants work with tools like KitchenNmbrs. All numbers in one place:
- Food cost per dish (calculated automatically)
- Inventory overview (what do you have on hand?)
- Shopping lists (based on sales)
- Daily checks (temperatures, cleaning)
The goal: know how you're doing in 5 minutes per day, without Excel or a calculator.
How do you get daily control over your numbers? (step by step)
Start with your top 5 dishes
Calculate the exact food cost of your 5 best-selling dishes. Add up all ingredients, including herbs and garnish. Use the formula: (ingredient costs / selling price excl. VAT) × 100.
Set up a daily check routine
Check every morning: yesterday's revenue, inventory of top sellers, and waste. Note any deviations and find the cause. This takes 10 minutes but prevents big surprises.
Use one system for all your numbers
Stop using Excel sheets and paper lists. Choose one digital system where you track recipes, inventory, purchases, and checks. That way you always have current numbers at your fingertips.
✨ Pro tip
Track your waste bin for exactly 7 days straight. If you're throwing away more than €50 worth of ingredients per week, you need tighter inventory control immediately.
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 much time does it take to check numbers daily?
About 10 minutes per day if you have a good system. Setting it up the first time takes more time, but after that it becomes routine.
Do I need to calculate all dishes or just the popular ones?
Start with your top 5 best-selling dishes. Those often represent 80% of your revenue. If those are good, you have the biggest part under control.
What if my food cost comes out above 35%?
Then you're probably losing money on that dish. Check your portion size, ingredient prices, and selling price. Often it helps to raise the menu price a bit.
Can't I just order based on gut feeling?
That only works for very experienced entrepreneurs with stable sales. For most restaurants, ordering based on gut feeling leads to too much inventory and waste.
How often should I recalculate my food cost?
Check your top 5 dishes monthly. Suppliers raise prices regularly, so your food cost changes more often than you think.
Should I include staff meals and tastings in my food cost calculations?
Absolutely - staff meals can add 2-4% to your actual food costs. Track them separately so you know their real impact on your margins.
What's the difference between theoretical and actual food cost?
Theoretical is what your recipes should cost on paper. Actual includes waste, theft, and portion variations. The gap between them reveals operational problems.
📚 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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