Restaurant KPIs are like taking your pulse - check the vital signs daily, run diagnostics weekly, and get a full health scan monthly. Track too much and you'll drown in data. Track too little and problems blindside you.
Daily KPIs - Your basic check (10 minutes)
Every morning you check these numbers to know where you stand:
💡 Example daily check:
Yesterday (Tuesday):
- Revenue: €2,400 (same day last week: €2,200)
- Covers: 85 (average check: €28.24)
- Waste: 2 salmon portions, 1 dessert
- Cooler temperature: 3°C ✓
Signal: Revenue is up, but check why waste is higher.
- Yesterday's revenue - Compare with same day last week
- Number of covers - Calculate average check (revenue ÷ covers)
- Waste - Count what went in the trash
- Cooler temperatures - HACCP required, prevent food poisoning
- Top item inventory - Check your 3 best-selling dishes
⚠️ Watch out:
Revenue up but covers the same? Then your average check is rising. Revenue the same but more covers? Then your average check is dropping. Both are signals to investigate.
Weekly KPIs - Your deeper analysis (30 minutes)
Every Monday or Tuesday you take time for these numbers:
💡 Example weekly check:
Week 12 vs. week 11:
- Total revenue: €14,200 (-5.2%)
- Food cost steak: 34.2% (was 31.8%)
- Inventory value: €3,400 (was €3,100)
- Labor cost: 28.5% of revenue
Action: Check beef prices with supplier.
- Food cost per top dish - Check your 5 best-selling dishes
- Total inventory value - Add up what's in coolers and storage
- Labor cost percentage - Payroll ÷ revenue × 100
- Average check per day - Look for patterns (which days lower/higher?)
- No-shows and cancellations - Measure impact on planning
Monthly KPIs - Your strategic decisions (2 hours)
At the end of each month you analyze the big picture:
💡 Example monthly analysis:
March 2024:
- Total revenue: €58,400
- Total food cost: 32.1% (€18,746)
- Total labor cost: 29.8% (€17,403)
- Fixed costs: €12,200
- Net profit: €9,051 (15.5%)
Conclusion: Healthy profit margin, food cost slightly on the high side.
- Total food cost percentage - All ingredients ÷ total revenue
- Net profit margin - What's left after all costs?
- Revenue per square meter - Efficiency of your space
- Customer frequency - How many unique guests per month?
- Seasonal patterns - Compare with same month last year
This frequency pattern is the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss - daily checks prevent small problems from becoming big ones. Weekly analyses help you make adjustments. Monthly numbers give strategic insight for bigger decisions.
⚠️ Watch out:
Don't measure everything every day. Too many numbers lead to paralysis. Focus on the KPIs that truly impact your daily decisions.
Digital versus manual tracking
Many entrepreneurs start with Excel or notebooks. That works, but takes time and you easily forget to fill in numbers. A system like tools like KitchenNmbrs automates many calculations and keeps historical data for comparisons.
The most important thing is that you track consistently. Better 5 minutes every day than 3 hours once a month trying to figure out what happened.
How do you build a KPI routine? (step by step)
Start with 3 daily numbers
Start small: yesterday's revenue, number of covers, and cooler temperature. Nothing more. Build this routine first before you expand.
Choose a fixed time
Check these numbers every morning at 9:00, before you start mise-en-place. Make it part of your opening routine.
Add weekly food cost
After 2 weeks of daily routine, add food cost of your 3 top dishes every Monday. Check if suppliers have raised prices.
Build monthly analysis
After one month, reserve the first Tuesday of each month for big picture analysis. Compare with previous month and same month last year.
✨ Pro tip
Check your top 3 revenue drivers daily, but analyze your bottom 5 dishes weekly - they're often bleeding money quietly. This 15-minute weekly review can save you hundreds monthly.
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
How much time do these KPI checks take per day?
Daily check: 5-10 minutes. Weekly analysis: 30 minutes. Monthly: 1-2 hours. Total about 1 hour per week, which you often earn back through better decisions.
What if my numbers fluctuate strongly day to day?
That's normal, especially in seasonal hospitality. Always compare with the same day last week, not yesterday. Look at trends over multiple weeks, not daily fluctuations.
What food cost percentage is normal for restaurants?
Common is 28-35% for most restaurants. Fine dining often higher (30-38%), fast casual lower (25-30%). More important than the absolute value is knowing what's normal for your concept.
Should I include VAT in my KPI calculations?
For food cost always calculate EXCLUDING VAT. Your menu price of €32 incl. VAT is €29.36 excl. VAT. For revenue figures you can track both, but be consistent.
What if I don't have time for weekly analyses?
Then start with daily checks only. Better 5 minutes every day than nothing at all. You can expand later once the routine is in place.
How do I prevent forgetting to track numbers?
Link it to an existing routine (e.g., closing the register) and set a phone alarm. Many entrepreneurs use an app that reminds them of daily checks.
📚 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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