Every month, you need to know one thing: are we winning or losing? Most restaurant owners can sense if it felt busy, but gut feelings don't pay bills. A focused 30-minute routine tracking 5 key numbers gives you that clear yes or no answer.
The 5 figures you need to check monthly
Skip the complicated spreadsheets. These 5 numbers tell the whole story:
- Revenue vs. previous month - are you growing or shrinking?
- Average food cost % - is your profit leaking through the kitchen?
- Number of covers - are more or fewer guests coming?
- Average check - are guests ordering more or less per visit?
- Inventory value - are you buying too much or too little?
💡 Example: Restaurant De Smulhoek - March 2024
- Revenue: €28,500 (February: €26,200) = +8.8%
- Food cost: 31% (February: 29%) = +2 percentage points
- Covers: 950 (February: 890) = +60 guests
- Average check: €30.00 (February: €29.44) = +€0.56
- Inventory: €3,200 (February: €2,900) = +€300
Conclusion: More revenue, but food cost is rising too fast. Check your purchasing and portions.
How do you calculate these figures quickly?
You'll need three sources: your POS system, supplier invoices, and a quick inventory walk-through. Don't aim for perfection - solid estimates reveal trends just fine.
Revenue and covers pull straight from your POS. Food cost equals total purchases divided by revenue excluding VAT. Average check means revenue divided by covers. Inventory value gets estimated during a 10-minute walk through cooler, freezer, and dry storage.
⚠️ Important:
Always calculate food cost with revenue EXCLUDING VAT. €28,500 incl. 9% VAT = €26,147 excl. VAT. Otherwise your food cost looks lower than it actually is.
What are good vs. bad signals?
Each number tells part of your restaurant's story. Here's what to watch for:
Green signals (you're winning):
- Revenue grows 5-15% per month (accounting for seasonality)
- Food cost stays below 35% and remains stable
- Covers increase or hold steady
- Average check grows gradually (inflation + menu improvements)
- Inventory value stays consistent with similar revenue
Red signals (fix this now):
- Revenue drops 2 consecutive months without seasonal explanation
- Food cost jumps above 35% or swings wildly
- Covers decline but average check doesn't compensate
- Inventory value climbs every month (you're overbuying)
💡 Example: Red signals at Bistro Het Pleintje
- March revenue: €22,000 (February: €24,500) = -10%
- Food cost: 38% (February: 32%) = +6 percentage points
- Covers: 650 (February: 720) = -70 guests
- Inventory: €4,100 (February: €3,200) = +€900
Action: Fewer guests, too high food cost, too much inventory. Check marketing, menu, and purchasing immediately.
Make it a 30-minute routine
Block the first working day of each month. Grab coffee, open your laptop, and run through the checklist. Trends matter more than perfect precision.
From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, I've seen owners who use tools like KitchenNmbrs cut this routine to 15 minutes since the calculations happen automatically. But a simple Excel sheet works just as well.
The key? Do it every single month. Consistency beats perfection every time.
How do you do the monthly check? (step by step)
Gather your basic data
Get from your POS system: total revenue, number of covers. Grab your supplier invoices from this month. Quickly count your inventory: cooler, freezer, dry storage (an estimate is enough).
Calculate the 5 key figures
Revenue vs. previous month (%). Food cost: total purchases / revenue excl. VAT × 100. Average check: revenue / covers. Total inventory value. Write everything down in one line.
Compare and decide
Put it next to last month. Green signals? Great, keep going. Red signals? Make an action plan right away. Food cost too high? Check purchasing. Covers dropping? Check marketing. Inventory rising? Buy less.
✨ Pro tip
Set up a simple Excel sheet with 12 columns for each month's 5 figures. After 6 months of consistent tracking, you'll spot patterns that would otherwise stay hidden - like covers always dropping in March or food costs spiking every December.
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 need to do this on the exact same day every month?
Not necessarily, but within the first 5 working days works better. Your numbers stay fresh and you can course-correct quickly if something's off.
What if I don't have time to count my inventory?
Estimate it during a 10-minute kitchen walk. €500 meat, €200 fish, €300 vegetables. You're tracking trends, not doing an audit.
How do I know if my food cost of 36% is acceptable?
Most restaurants run 28-35%. Above 35% gets tight. Check if your menu prices match current purchasing costs and portion sizes.
What if my revenue is seasonal?
Compare to the same month last year instead of last month. A beach bar's March vs February means nothing, but March 2024 vs March 2023 tells the real story.
Can I automate this with software?
Partially yes. Apps like KitchenNmbrs auto-calculate food cost when you input purchases. But you'll still need to pull covers and revenue from your POS manually.
What if all my figures are red?
Fix the biggest problem first - usually food cost or dropping covers. Tackle one issue per month or you'll get overwhelmed. Check next month if it improved.
📚 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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