Closing out your week every Saturday with a clear picture of your numbers is the best 30-minute investment you can make. Many restaurant owners run around without knowing if they're making a profit or running a loss. With a fixed Saturday routine, you see exactly where you stand and can make adjustments before problems get out of hand.
Why Saturday is the perfect day
Saturday is usually your busiest day of the week. Perfect moment to check how you're doing. You've just finished a full week and can still make adjustments for the coming week.
💡 Example:
Restaurant The Golden Spoon does this every Saturday afternoon at 3:00 PM. Owner Marco takes 30 minutes to review the week:
- Revenue this week: €12,400
- Last week: €11,200
- Difference: +€1,200 (10.7% more)
Conclusion: Good week, new dishes are working well
The 5 numbers you need to check every Saturday
Focus on these 5 core numbers. You don't need more than this for a clear picture:
- Revenue for the week - Compare with last week and the same week last year
- Number of covers - How many guests did you have?
- Average check - Revenue divided by number of covers
- Purchases for the week - How much did you spend on ingredients?
- Estimated food cost - Purchases divided by revenue
⚠️ Note:
Your food cost for this week is an estimate. You probably used inventory from last week and bought inventory for next week. But as a pattern, it does give you insight.
How to collect your numbers
You don't need to calculate everything down to the cent. It's about the pattern and the direction.
💡 Example calculation:
Week of February 10-16:
- Revenue: €8,400 (from POS system)
- Covers: 420 (from reservation system or count)
- Average check: €8,400 / 420 = €20.00
- Purchases: €2,800 (add up all receipts)
- Estimated food cost: €2,800 / €8,400 = 33.3%
What do you do with deviations?
If your numbers deviate from what you expect, investigate:
- Lower revenue: Was it the weather? Fewer reservations? Competitor opened?
- Lower average check: Are guests ordering less? Are your prices too high? Are you promoting the expensive dishes?
- Higher food cost: Have supplier prices gone up? Is your chef giving too generous portions? More waste?
💡 Real-world example:
Bistro The Square saw their average check drop from €24 to €21. Cause: new chef was giving 20% larger portions without the owner knowing. Solution: bring portion size back to standard.
Result: Average check back to €24, food cost from 38% to 32%
Digital vs manual tracking
You can do this with pen and paper, but digital is more convenient for looking back at trends. An app like KitchenNmbrs automatically collects many of these numbers, so your Saturday routine goes even faster.
The most important thing is that you do it every week. Consistency is more important than perfection.
How do you execute the perfect Saturday routine?
Gather your basic data
Get your POS system, supplier receipts, and reservation book. You need this week's revenue, number of guests, and total purchases. This takes a maximum of 10 minutes.
Calculate your 5 core numbers
Revenue, covers, average check (revenue/covers), purchases, and estimated food cost (purchases/revenue). Use your phone as a calculator. Write down the numbers or enter them in an app.
Compare with previous periods
Check the same numbers from last week and from 4 weeks ago. Do you see a pattern? Rising or falling trend? Big outliers? Note what you notice and possible causes.
Plan actions for the coming week
If you see deviations, think of 1-2 concrete actions. For example: call your supplier about a price increase, talk to your chef about portion sizes, or promote a new dish extra.
✨ Pro tip
Always start your Saturday routine at the same time, for example 3:00 PM. Make yourself a coffee and treat it as your weekly date with your numbers. After 4 weeks it becomes automatic and you'll see patterns you'd otherwise miss.
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 this Saturday routine take?
About 30 minutes if you do it manually. With a digital system you can finish in 15 minutes. The time savings come from numbers being calculated automatically.
What if I don't have time on Saturday?
Then choose another fixed moment in the week, for example Sunday morning or Monday morning. The important thing is that you do it weekly at the same time.
Are these numbers reliable enough?
For weekly management, yes. Your food cost is an estimate because inventory varies, but as a pattern you can see if you're heading in the right direction. For exact numbers, do a full count monthly.
What do I do if my food cost is structurally above 35%?
First check if your suppliers haven't raised prices. Then look at portion sizes and waste. If that's all correct, you probably need to adjust your menu prices.
Do I need to do this during slow periods too?
Especially then. In slow weeks you see faster if your food cost is getting out of hand, because your fixed costs stay the same but your revenue is lower.
📚 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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