Picture this: you're locking up after another busy service, but have no clue whether today was actually profitable. Most restaurant owners walk out the door without checking what really happened to their inventory and numbers. Those same 10-minute evening checks can prevent costly surprises and protect your margins.
The 5 questions that save your profit
These questions take you 10 minutes, but can save you hundreds of euros per month. You're not chasing perfection here - you're spotting patterns before they drain your bank account.
💡 Example daily check:
Bistro with 80 covers today:
- Revenue: €2,240 (last week Tuesday: €2,180)
- Waste: 2 portions fish, 1 dessert (€28 total)
- Inventory critical: salmon for 15 portions, vegetables for 25 portions
Conclusion: Order salmon tomorrow, waste is normal
Question 1: Does my revenue match my gut feeling?
Compare today's revenue against the same day last week. Big swings always tell a story. Maybe the weather kept people home? A large party cancelled? Or you pushed different dishes than usual?
- Higher revenue, fewer guests = you sold pricier dishes
- More guests, same revenue = cheaper items dominated
- Revenue below expectations = dig into what changed
⚠️ Watch out:
Always compare with the same day last week, not yesterday. Tuesday isn't Friday.
Question 2: What went in the trash?
Waste equals profit you literally threw away. Tally up what got tossed and why. Expired ingredients? Kitchen mistake? Over-prepped?
💡 Example waste:
- 2 portions salmon (past date): €18
- 1 dessert (kitchen error): €4.50
- Vegetables (over-prepped): €6
Total: €28.50 - that's 1.3% of revenue
If waste consistently hits 2% of revenue or more, you're bleeding money. Usually comes down to over-ordering or oversized portions.
Question 3: Do I have enough for tomorrow?
Walk your cooler and count portions remaining for your bestsellers. How many servings of your top dishes can you still plate? This prevents tomorrow's "86" disasters.
- Check fresh proteins first (shortest shelf life)
- Check vegetables that wilt fast
- Check ingredients for tomorrow's special
Question 4: Which dishes sold the best?
After managing kitchen operations for nearly a decade, I've learned that your high-volume dishes drive profitability more than anything else. If you moved 20 pastas and 3 steaks today, pasta's margins matter way more than steak's.
💡 Example analysis:
Sold today:
- Pasta carbonara: 18× (food cost 28%)
- Steak: 12× (food cost 35%)
- Fish special: 8× (food cost 32%)
That pasta drives your profit despite the lower price point.
Question 5: Are there signals I shouldn't miss?
Some patterns only emerge if you're actively looking. Slow-developing trends that pack a serious financial punch.
- Ingredient costs creeping up? (supplier price hikes)
- Certain dishes suddenly moving slower? (competition, seasonality, recipe changes)
- More portion size complaints? (kitchen inconsistency)
- Inventory building up? (over-ordering, declining sales)
⚠️ Watch out:
Problems develop gradually. One week of high food costs flies under the radar. Three weeks? You've already lost serious money.
From control to action
These questions only work if you act on what you find. Spot a pattern? Address it tomorrow. Too much waste? Cut your orders. Food costs climbing? Review your pricing.
Many operators use systems to track these numbers automatically, eliminating the manual counting and calculating.
How do you build a daily check routine?
Make a checklist of your 5 questions
Write down the questions and hang them in the kitchen. That way you won't forget them and it becomes routine. Start with 3 questions if 5 feels like too much.
Choose a fixed time (last 30 minutes)
Do this when the kitchen gets quieter, but before you're tired. Right after the last order is often the best time.
Write down the answers (digital or paper)
Write down what you see, even if it seems 'normal'. You only see patterns when you look back. An app makes this easier than a notebook.
✨ Pro tip
Before you leave each night, ask yourself: 'Can I make 30 portions of my top 3 dishes tomorrow without ordering?' If yes, you've got 80% of your inventory risks covered.
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
Do I really need to do this every single day?
Start with 3 days per week to build the habit. Once you recognize the patterns, it becomes second nature. The days you skip often reveal the most costly problems.
What if I don't have time for all five checks?
Focus on questions 1 and 2 first - revenue and waste. Takes 3 minutes and shows you exactly where money's leaking out.
How do I know if my numbers are actually normal?
Compare against your own performance from last week, same day. If waste consistently exceeds 2% or food costs hit 35%+, you've got work to do.
What if I spot patterns but don't know how to fix them?
Attack your biggest leak first. If waste is killing you, tackle that before anything else. One problem at a time beats trying to fix everything simultaneously.
Can't I just delegate this to my head chef?
Your chef controls the kitchen, but these numbers are your responsibility as owner. Nobody guards your profit margins as fiercely as you should.
Should I track these numbers for tax purposes?
These daily checks are for operational control, not tax compliance. Keep revenue figures and major expenses for taxes, but these details are purely for your management insight.
📚 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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