How much of your restaurant do you actually own versus what's borrowed? Solvency reveals the answer by showing the percentage of your assets that are truly yours, not tied up in debt. Low solvency signals high financial risk and potential trouble ahead.
What exactly is solvency?
Solvency represents the percentage of your total assets that belong to you outright, free from debt obligations. It's a crucial financial metric that reveals if your business stands on solid ground.
💡 Example:
Restaurant The Gourmet Corner has:
- Total assets (equipment, cash, inventory): €150,000
- Total debt (loans, suppliers): €90,000
- Equity: €60,000
Solvency: €60,000 / €150,000 × 100 = 40%
The solvency formula
The math is straightforward:
Solvency % = (Equity / Total assets) × 100
Each piece breaks down like this:
- Equity = what remains after subtracting all debts from total assets
- Total assets = everything valuable you own (equipment, inventory, cash, bank balances)
What do the percentages mean?
For hospitality businesses, these benchmarks apply:
- Above 30%: Strong financial foundation
- 20-30%: Acceptable range, but avoid taking on more debt
- 10-20%: Concerning territory with excessive borrowing
- Below 10%: Dangerous zone where nearly everything is financed
⚠️ Note:
Restaurants typically show lower solvency than other industries because of massive upfront investments in kitchens and interiors. Still, dropping below 20% creates serious risk.
Where do you find these figures?
Your balance sheet contains everything needed for solvency calculations. Look for it in:
- Annual financial statements
- Bookkeeping software
- Reports from your accountant
Balance sheets capture a snapshot of your financial position on a specific date, typically December 31st.
💡 Practical example:
Bistro The Square (balance sheet as of 12-31):
- Kitchen equipment: €80,000
- Furniture: €25,000
- Inventory: €8,000
- Bank account: €12,000
- Total assets: €125,000
Debt:
- Equipment loan: €45,000
- Supplier debt: €8,000
- Total debt: €53,000
Equity: €125,000 - €53,000 = €72,000
Solvency: €72,000 / €125,000 × 100 = 57.6%
How do you improve your solvency?
From years of working in professional kitchens, I've seen restaurants turn around poor solvency with these strategies:
- Reinvest profits: Reduce owner withdrawals and plow earnings back into the business
- Accelerate debt payments: Make additional loan payments beyond minimums
- Add capital: Invest personal money to boost equity
- Liquidate unused assets: Convert unnecessary equipment into cash
Why is solvency important?
Strong solvency opens doors to:
- Better lending terms: Banks favor businesses with healthy equity ratios
- Supplier advantages: Extended payment terms and volume discounts
- Crisis resilience: Financial cushion during revenue downturns
- Growth opportunities: Easier access to expansion capital
💡 In practice:
Monitor your solvency annually at minimum. During major purchases or challenging periods, check quarterly. Food cost calculators and financial tracking tools help spot trends early.
How do you calculate solvency? (step by step)
Gather your balance sheet data
Get your latest annual accounts or ask your accountant for a current balance sheet. You need: total assets (what you own) and total liabilities (debt + equity).
Calculate your equity
Subtract your total debt from your total assets. This gives you equity: what you actually own without debt.
Apply the formula
Divide your equity by your total assets and multiply by 100. This percentage is your solvency.
✨ Pro tip
Check your solvency every 3 months during your first two years of operation. Restaurant finances shift rapidly with equipment purchases and seasonal borrowing, and quarterly monitoring helps you catch problems while you still have options to fix them.
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
What is good solvency for a restaurant?
For hospitality businesses, 30% or higher indicates financial health. The 20-30% range is acceptable but leaves little room for error. Restaurants typically run lower solvency due to heavy equipment investments, but anything below 20% signals trouble.
How does seasonal cash flow affect my solvency calculation?
Seasonal fluctuations can dramatically impact solvency if you're borrowing heavily during slow periods to cover fixed costs. Calculate solvency at both peak and off-season to understand your true financial position throughout the year.
Should I worry more about solvency or daily cash flow?
Both matter, but they serve different purposes. Cash flow keeps your doors open day-to-day, while solvency reveals long-term financial stability. Poor solvency eventually catches up and limits your options during cash crunches.
📚 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.
All your financial KPIs in one dashboard
Food cost percentage, gross margin, revenue per cover — KitchenNmbrs calculates it all automatically based on your recipes and purchases. Start your free trial.
Start free trial →