Ever wondered which dishes could earn you more without driving customers away? Testing one dish weekly lets you improve margins systematically while minimizing risk. You'll discover exactly what guests will pay and where portions might be too generous.
Why weekly testing works
Most restaurant owners adjust prices once yearly. Makes sense—you don't want confused guests. But there's a smarter approach: test one dish every week.
- You learn what guests are actually willing to pay
- You discover which portions are unnecessarily large
- You boost margins without changing everything at once
- You get real data instead of guesswork
💡 Example:
Week 1: Test your steak from €32 to €34
Week 2: Test your pasta portion from 150g to 130g
Week 3: Test your fish from €28 to €29.50
Result: €2,400 extra profit per year with 3 small adjustments
Choose the right dish to test
Not every dish works for testing. Focus on dishes where you can create the biggest impact:
- High-volume sellers: Dishes you serve frequently
- High food cost: Above 35% ingredient costs
- Popular items: Where guests show less price sensitivity
- Signature dishes: That competitors don't offer
💡 Example: Selecting a dish
You sell 40 salmon portions weekly for €26.50. Ingredient costs: €9.80
- Selling price excl. VAT: €24.31
- Food cost: (€9.80 / €24.31) × 100 = 40.3%
- Annual sales: 40 × 52 = 2,080 portions
Perfect test candidate: popular and high food cost
Test price increase or portion adjustment
You can test two approaches: raising prices or reducing portions. Both improve margins, but work differently.
Option 1: Raise the price
- Increase by €1.50 to €3.00
- Track how sales volume changes
- Calculate if extra margin compensates for reduced sales
Option 2: Reduce the portion
- Cut portion by 10-15%
- Maintain the same selling price
- Monitor guest feedback closely
⚠️ Heads up:
Never test both simultaneously. You won't know which change caused the effect. Test price first, then portion, or the reverse.
Measure results systematically
Without measuring, you can't determine test success. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, these numbers matter most during your test week:
- Portions sold: This week versus last week's volume
- Revenue per dish: Total earnings from this item
- Customer complaints: Feedback about price or portion size
- Total margin: Net profit from the dish
💡 Example: Measuring results
Salmon test: from €26.50 to €28.50
- Previous week: 40 portions × €24.31 excl. VAT = €972.40
- Test week: 36 portions × €26.15 excl. VAT = €941.40
- Ingredient costs: 36 × €9.80 = €352.80
- Previous margin: €972.40 - (40 × €9.80) = €580.40
- Test margin: €941.40 - €352.80 = €588.60
Result: €8.20 higher margin despite selling 4 fewer portions
Determining test success
A test succeeds if total margin increases, even with fewer portions sold. Here's your criteria:
- Margin increases: Higher weekly profit
- Sales drop under 15%: More than 15% becomes risky
- Minimal complaints: Guests accept the change
- Staff comfort: Kitchen handles it smoothly
If these criteria are met, make the adjustment permanent. If not, revert to the original setup.
Implement successful tests permanently
Successful tests need permanent implementation. Update menus, train staff, and communicate changes clearly.
- Update menus and digital systems
- Brief your team about the change
- Monitor for 2 additional weeks for confirmation
- Calculate your annual profit from this adjustment
💡 Example: Calculating annual profit
Salmon adjustment: €8.20 additional margin weekly
- Annually: €8.20 × 52 weeks = €426.40
- With 3 successful yearly tests: €1,279.20 extra
That's €1,279 additional profit without extra effort
Plan your next test
Once your first test concludes, plan the next one. This builds better margins systematically.
- Select your next test dish
- Schedule the test week in your calendar
- Prepare your team
- Set measurement checkpoints in your planning
A food cost calculator like KitchenNmbrs lets you track these tests easily and calculates results automatically. You'll see immediately what each adjustment delivers.
How do you test a dish systematically? (step by step)
Select your test dish
Choose a dish you sell frequently and with food cost above 35%. Calculate the current margin per portion and per week. This becomes your baseline for the test.
Determine your test adjustment
Choose between price increase (€1.50-€3.00) or reducing portion (10-15%). Calculate what the new margin would be at constant sales. Never test both at the same time.
Run the test for one week
Implement the adjustment and measure daily: number of portions sold, revenue, guest complaints. Track how your staff and guests react.
Analyze the results
Compare the total margin of the test week with the week before. Did the margin increase despite potentially lower sales? Were there many complaints? Calculate the impact on an annual basis.
Decide and implement
If the margin increases and sales drop max 15% without many complaints: make it permanent. If not: go back to the old situation. Plan your next test for another dish.
✨ Pro tip
Test your signature burger by reducing the patty from 180g to 160g this week while keeping the €16.50 price. Track portions sold and complaints daily—you'll likely save €1.20 per burger without guests noticing.
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
Which dishes work best for testing?
Focus on high-volume dishes with food costs above 35%. These create the biggest profit impact. Avoid seasonal items or dishes you rarely sell—the data won't be reliable enough.
How much can I raise prices without losing customers?
Test increases of €1.50 to €3.00 maximum. Larger jumps risk significant customer loss. Signature dishes typically handle price increases better than standard menu items.
What if my test causes major sales drops?
Stop immediately if sales drop more than 25% or complaints surge. Return to original pricing and analyze what went wrong—maybe try a smaller increase or portion reduction instead.
📚 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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