Yesterday, a restaurant owner discovered his €32 steak brought in less profit than his €18 pasta. Most operators jump straight into ordering or staffing without checking which dishes actually make money. Three simple questions each morning will show you exactly where today's profit lies.
Review yesterday's top performers
Pull up your POS data or grab those order tickets. Which 5 dishes flew out of your kitchen most often yesterday? These aren't automatically your biggest money-makers, but they're your starting point.
💡 Example:
Yesterday sold (Tuesday):
- Steak: 28 portions at €32.00 = €896
- Salmon: 22 portions at €26.50 = €583
- Pasta carbonara: 35 portions at €18.50 = €647
- Caesar salad: 18 portions at €16.00 = €288
- Risotto: 15 portions at €22.00 = €330
These 5 dishes brought in €2,744 of your total revenue.
Calculate actual profit per dish
Here's where most operators get it wrong. Revenue doesn't equal profit. For each popular dish, you need the real number:
Profit per portion = Selling price excl. VAT - Ingredient costs
💡 Example calculation:
Steak at €32.00 (incl. 9% VAT):
- Selling price excl. VAT: €32.00 / 1.09 = €29.36
- Ingredient costs: €11.20
- Profit per portion: €29.36 - €11.20 = €18.16
At 28 portions yesterday: 28 × €18.16 = €508 profit
Run this calculation for all top sellers. The dish with highest profit per portion × today's expected volume = your real money-maker. And it might surprise you.
Match inventory to profit potential
Got enough ingredients for your most profitable dish? If not, get them ordered now. If you do? Time to make sure your team pushes this dish hard today.
⚠️ Watch out:
High revenue doesn't mean high profit. That pasta at €18.50 with €4.50 in costs beats your €32.00 steak with €15.00 in costs every time.
Your daily profit questions
- Which dish generated the most total profit yesterday? (profit per portion × number sold)
- Can I handle 30% more orders of this dish today?
- How will I push this dish specifically? (daily special, staff incentives)
Ask these three questions every morning, and you'll actively steer toward profit instead of hoping the right dishes sell themselves. One of the most common blind spots in kitchen management is assuming your highest-priced items make the most money.
Concentrate on your profit champions
Don't spread yourself thin optimizing everything. Zero in on your 3 most profitable dishes from yesterday's service. These likely generate 60-70% of your total profit anyway.
💡 Real-world example:
Restaurant De Kroon did this for a month:
- Every morning: check profit on top 3 dishes from yesterday
- Ensure sufficient inventory
- Staff gets bonus targets on these 3 dishes
- Result: 18% more profit without more guests
The magic isn't in selling more covers, but in selling smarter ones. By consciously steering toward your most profitable dishes, you'll earn more with the exact same effort.
How do you determine where you'll make the most money today? (step by step)
Analyze yesterday
Check your POS system to see which 5 dishes sold most often. Note the number of portions and total revenue per dish. These are your potential money-makers for today.
Calculate profit per portion
For each popular dish: subtract ingredient costs from selling price excl. VAT. Multiply by number sold yesterday. The dish with the highest total profit is your focus for today.
Ensure inventory and push
Check if you have enough ingredients for your most profitable dish. Instruct your team to recommend this dish extra. Make it a daily special or put it prominently on the board.
✨ Pro tip
Ask yourself at 10 AM: 'Which of my top 3 profit dishes from yesterday can I realistically sell 25% more of in the next 6 hours?' Then focus your team's energy entirely on that one dish.
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 push different dishes every day?
Not necessarily. If one dish consistently delivers your highest profit, keep pushing it for weeks. Only switch if profit margins shift or popularity drops significantly.
What if my most profitable dish barely sells?
That's your biggest opportunity. Train staff to recommend it more actively, and consider tweaking the menu description or presentation. Sometimes small changes unlock big profits.
How do I calculate exact ingredient costs per dish?
List every ingredient per portion, including garnishes and sauces. Add up purchase prices and divide by portions. Tools like a food cost calculator can automate this process.
Should labor costs factor into daily decisions?
For daily steering, focus on ingredient costs since labor is mostly fixed per service. Save labor cost analysis for longer-term menu planning decisions.
What if I don't have a POS system?
Use order tickets or manual counting. Track which dishes you sell each day for a week, and patterns will emerge quickly.
How long should this morning check take?
About 10 minutes once you know your ingredient costs. The initial setup takes longer, but after that it becomes routine.
What about seasonal ingredients affecting my most profitable dish?
Build flexibility into your profit strategy. Have 2-3 backup high-profit dishes ready for when seasonal costs spike or availability drops.
📚 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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