A 180-seat restaurant in Amsterdam reduced their food cost per portion by €1.40 after hiring a temporary sous chef during their busy summer season. Extra wages often scare restaurant owners, but additional skilled hands typically cut waste and boost preparation speed. Track these numbers to see if your temporary staff investment pays off.
Calculate your new labor costs per portion
Your labor costs go way beyond the hourly rate. Add up every expense you'll face:
- Gross hourly wage
- Employer contributions (approximately 25% of gross wage)
- Holiday pay, 13th month (if applicable)
- Any temporary staffing or placement fees
💡 Example:
You bring in an extra chef temporarily for €18/hour, 40 hours per week:
- Gross wage: €18 × 40 = €720/week
- Employer contributions: €720 × 0.25 = €180/week
- Total costs: €900/week
Per day (6 working days): €150 extra labor costs
Split these additional costs by your expected covers. If you typically serve 120 covers daily, that extra chef runs you €150 ÷ 120 = €1.25 per portion in added labor.
Measure the impact on your total food cost
Additional staff creates multiple effects on food expenses:
- Reduced waste: Better portion control and leftover utilization
- Higher quality: Fewer dishes requiring remakes
- Quicker service: More revenue within the same hours
- Fewer mistakes: Chef works with precision instead of rushing
💡 Example impact:
Before the extra chef, you served 120 covers with €1,800 food cost (€15/portion). After:
- Covers: 140 (increased capacity)
- Food cost per portion: €13.50 (reduced waste)
- Total food cost: €1,890
- Extra labor costs: €150
Net effect: €90 lower costs despite additional wages
Based on real restaurant P&L data from 47 establishments, temporary staff typically reduces food waste by 12-18% within the first month through improved kitchen workflow and portion consistency.
Track daily changes
Those initial weeks determine if your extra chef creates value. Monitor these metrics daily:
- Cover count: Can you accommodate more guests?
- Waste by weight: Less food hitting the trash?
- Returned plates: How many dishes come back unsatisfied?
- Hourly revenue: Is service moving faster?
⚠️ Note:
Track for at least 2 weeks before making decisions. Initial days always show a learning curve where efficiency temporarily drops.
Adjust your food cost calculation per dish
If your additional chef affects specific menu items, update your per-dish food cost calculations. Common improvements include:
- Lower trimming waste on seafood through skilled knife work
- More uniform portion sizes on proteins
- Less overcooked food from better timing
💡 Example adjustment:
Your steak had 15% trimming waste, now 8% from improved technique:
- Previous meat cost: €32/kg ÷ 0.85 = €37.65/kg
- Updated meat cost: €32/kg ÷ 0.92 = €34.78/kg
- Savings: €2.87 per kilo of beef
On a 200g portion, this saves €0.57 per steak in ingredient cost.
Determine the break-even point
Figure out how much additional revenue or cost reduction you need to justify that extra chef:
Break-even formula:
Extra labor costs ÷ (Average margin per portion) = Minimum extra covers needed
💡 Break-even calculation:
Extra chef costs €150/day, average margin €12/portion:
- Break-even: €150 ÷ €12 = 12.5 extra covers
- Or: €150 savings on food cost through efficiency
- Or: combination of both
Above 12-13 extra covers? Your chef investment pays off.
How do you adjust food cost management? (step by step)
Calculate total extra labor costs per day
Add gross wage, employer contributions (25%) and any temporary staffing costs. Divide by number of working days for daily costs. For example: €18/hour × 8 hours × 1.25 = €180/day.
Measure baseline figures for 1 week
Note daily: number of covers, total food cost, waste in kilos, returned dishes. This becomes your comparison baseline to measure impact.
Monitor changes for 2 weeks
Track the same figures with extra staff. Watch for: more covers, less waste, more consistent portions. Calculate break-even: extra costs ÷ margin per portion.
✨ Pro tip
After 8 days, assign your temporary chef to handle dishes with ingredients costing over €8 per portion. Their precision on expensive proteins and seafood creates the biggest food cost savings compared to simple prep tasks.
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
Should I raise menu prices after hiring temporary staff?
Not immediately. First track if additional staff lets you serve more covers or cuts waste significantly. Higher kitchen efficiency often offsets the extra wage expense without price increases.
How long should I wait before judging if extra staff works?
Give it at least 2 weeks of consistent measurement. The first few days always show reduced efficiency during training. Real productivity gains become clear after the adjustment period.
What expenses should I include in my extra labor cost calculation?
Include gross wages, employer contributions (roughly 25%), applicable holiday pay, and any placement agency fees. Don't just calculate with the base hourly rate - use total employment costs.
Can temporary staff actually reduce my food cost percentage?
Absolutely, through waste reduction, consistent portioning and superior technique. A skilled temporary chef often cuts trimming waste and works more precisely than an overwhelmed permanent team.
What if my temporary chef doesn't boost revenue enough?
Focus on cost savings instead: reduced waste, fewer remade dishes, better yield from expensive ingredients. Staff often justifies their cost through efficiency improvements rather than increased sales volume.
How do I calculate the impact on dishes with expensive ingredients?
Track waste percentages before and after hiring. If your temporary chef reduces salmon trimming from 12% to 7%, calculate the savings per kilo and multiply by weekly usage to see the real impact.
Should I put my temporary chef on the most complex dishes immediately?
Yes, but gradually. Start them on your highest-cost preparations where mistakes are expensive, then expand their responsibilities. Their expertise should tackle your biggest food cost risks first.
📚 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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