A quiet Sunday can be the start of a stressful week, or it can be the start of a week where everything runs smoothly. The difference lies in what you record and plan before you start Monday. By investing 30 minutes in a weekly closing, you prevent chaos and money loss in the coming week.
The 7 essential checks for a calm week
At the end of each week, there are a few crucial things you need to record. This might seem like extra work, but it saves you time and money in the week ahead.
💡 Example weekly closing:
Restaurant De Smederij does this check every Sunday:
- Revenue this week: €8,400
- Number of covers: 340
- Average bill: €24.71
- Inventory value: €2,100
- Waste: €180
Result: Monday morning owner Marc knows exactly where he stands.
Check 1: Compare revenue and covers
Record your total revenue for this week and the number of guests you had. Compare this with last week and the same week last year.
- Did your revenue drop but your number of guests stay the same? Then your average bill is lower
- More guests but same revenue? Your prices are too low or you're selling cheaper dishes
- Both dropped? Check what was different: weather, events, marketing
⚠️ Watch out:
A declining average bill is often the first signal that your profitability is declining. Check this weekly, not monthly.
Check 2: Inventory value and waste
Count what's left in your cooler and storage. Also record how much you threw away this week.
- Does your inventory value rise every week? Then you're buying too much
- A lot of waste from the same product? Adjust your purchasing
- Stock running low on popular items? Order more for Monday
💡 Example inventory check:
Bistro Het Plein records every Sunday:
- Inventory value week 1: €1,800
- Inventory value week 2: €1,950
- Inventory value week 3: €2,200
Signal: they're buying too much. Purchasing will be adjusted.
Check 3: Analyze your top 5 dishes
Look at your 5 best-selling dishes from this week. Check if the food cost still makes sense and if you're making enough margin.
Food cost formula: (Ingredient costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
- Food cost above 35%? Check if suppliers have raised prices
- A different dish suddenly popular? Calculate the margin
- Sold a lot but little profit? Consider a price increase
Check 4: Staff and scheduling
Record how many hours your team worked and what the labor costs were. Plan the coming week ahead.
- Too many hours for the revenue? Adjust the schedule
- Stress in the kitchen? Schedule extra help
- Reservations next week? Schedule staff in time
⚠️ Watch out:
Labor costs above 35% of your revenue usually means trouble. Check this weekly so you can adjust.
Check 5: Suppliers and orders
Plan your orders for the coming week. Check prices from your regular suppliers.
- Have prices gone up without you noticing?
- Do you have enough of your most popular ingredients?
- Are there any deals you can take advantage of?
Check 6: HACCP and temperatures
Check that all temperature records from this week are complete. Check your cooler and freezer.
- Missing records? Fill them in or note why
- Had temperature deviations? Check equipment
- Cleaning lists complete? Otherwise catch up Monday
Check 7: Action items for next week
Make a list of a maximum of 3 things you want to do differently next week.
💡 Example action items:
- Raise steak price from €28 to €30
- Buy less salmon (too much waste)
- Schedule extra help for Friday (busy weekend expected)
Digital vs. paper tracking
You can record all of this in a notebook, but digital has advantages:
- Easy to look back at previous weeks
- Automatic calculations (like food cost)
- Overview of trends over multiple weeks
- No risk of losing important notes
An app like KitchenNmbrs can automate many of these checks, so you spend less time calculating and more time planning.
How do you do a weekly closing? (step by step)
Gather all your figures from this week
Record your total revenue, number of covers, inventory value and waste. These are your base data to compare with.
Compare with last week and last year
Check if you're moving forward or backward. Pay special attention to trends that have been continuing for a few weeks.
Analyze your top 5 dishes
Calculate the food cost of your best-selling dishes. If it comes out above 35%, you need to take action.
Plan the coming week
Make your orders, schedule your staff and note a maximum of 3 action points you want to improve.
✨ Pro tip
Start by only tracking revenue and inventory. Once that becomes routine, add the other checks. Better to consistently do 2 things than to try 7 things once.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
How much time does a weekly closing take?
About 30 minutes if you organize it well. The first time takes longer, but after that it becomes routine.
Do I really have to do this every week?
Yes, weekly is essential. Monthly is too late to adjust. Problems have already become too big by then.
What if I don't have time on Sunday?
Do it Monday morning then. The important thing is that you do it consistently, not exactly when.
Which figures are most important?
Revenue, number of covers and food cost of your top dishes. These three tell you the most about your profitability.
Can I automate this?
Partly yes. Apps can do calculations, but you still need to count inventory and interpret trends yourself.
What if my figures are different every week?
That's normal. Look at trends over 4-6 weeks, not week-to-week differences. Seasons and events affect figures.
📚 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.
Automate your daily kitchen controls
Manual controls take time and miss errors. KitchenNmbrs automates temperature logging, inventory management, and HACCP checks. Try it free for 14 days.
Start free trial →