A daily KPI dashboard gives you immediate insight into your three most important cost centers: food cost, labor cost, and prime cost. Many restaurant owners only look at these figures at the end of the month, but by then it's too late to adjust. With a daily dashboard you see right away when your costs are getting out of hand.
What are the three core KPIs?
Your daily dashboard revolves around three figures that together determine whether you make a profit:
- Food cost %: Percentage of your revenue that goes to ingredients
- Labor cost %: Percentage of your revenue that goes to staff
- Prime cost %: Food cost + labor cost combined
A healthy prime cost is between 55% and 65%. Anything above that means you're left with too little for rent, energy, and profit.
Calculate food cost (daily)
Food cost is easiest to measure if you keep track of your purchases:
💡 Example daily food cost:
Yesterday:
- Revenue: €2,400
- Purchases: €720 (vegetables, meat, fish)
- Food cost: €720 / €2,400 = 30%
That's a healthy food cost for a restaurant.
Note: this is a rough calculation. For exact figures you also need to account for inventory changes, but daily purchases divided by revenue gives a good indication.
Calculate labor cost (daily)
You calculate labor cost by dividing all yesterday's wage costs by the revenue:
💡 Example labor cost:
Yesterday worked:
- Chef: 10 hours × €18 = €180
- Sous chef: 8 hours × €15 = €120
- Service: 16 hours × €12 = €192
- Total wages: €492
Revenue: €2,400
Labor cost: €492 / €2,400 = 20.5%
⚠️ Note:
Also include employer contributions (approximately 25% on top of gross wages). In the example above, the actual labor cost would be €615, or 25.6%.
Prime cost: the decisive KPI
Prime cost is the sum of food cost and labor cost. This figure determines whether your business is viable:
- Below 55%: Excellent, plenty of room for other costs
- 55-65%: Healthy, normal profit margin possible
- 65-75%: Tight, little room for unexpected costs
- Above 75%: Dangerous, likely loss
💡 Example prime cost:
From the example above:
- Food cost: 30%
- Labor cost: 25.6% (incl. employer contributions)
- Prime cost: 55.6%
This is a healthy prime cost with room for rent, energy, and profit.
Setting up your dashboard in practice
Create a simple table that you fill in every morning:
| Date | Revenue | Purchases | Wage Cost | Food % | Labor % | Prime % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 15/1 | €2,400 | €720 | €615 | 30% | 25.6% | 55.6% |
After a week you'll see patterns: which days are expensive, which are cheap? On which days do you go out of line?
Warning signs to watch for
Your dashboard alerts you to problems before they become big:
- Food cost suddenly rises: Supplier raised prices or chef is giving overly generous portions
- Labor cost too high on a quiet day: Too much staff scheduled
- Prime cost above 65% for multiple days: Structural problem, action needed
⚠️ Note:
One bad day is not a disaster. Look at the trend over a week. Structural deviations require action.
Digital tools for your dashboard
You can track this manually in Excel, but it takes time. Apps like KitchenNmbrs automatically calculate your food cost based on your recipes and sales figures. You only need to enter your wage costs for a complete prime cost overview.
The advantage of a digital system: you see trends over weeks and months, not just from yesterday. This way you spot seasonal patterns and long-term developments.
How do you set up a daily KPI dashboard? (step by step)
Gather yesterday's basic data
Note yesterday's revenue (from your register), all purchases (supplier receipts), and the number of hours worked per employee. These are your three basic ingredients for all calculations.
Calculate your three percentages
Food cost = purchases / revenue × 100. Labor cost = total wage costs / revenue × 100. Prime cost = food cost + labor cost. Don't forget to include employer contributions (approximately 25% on top of gross wages).
Compare with your targets and previous days
Put your figures next to your targets (for example 30% food, 25% labor, 55% prime cost). Also look at yesterday and the same day last week. Large deviations mean something is wrong.
✨ Pro tip
Check your KPIs every morning at 10:00, not in the evening. That way you have the whole day to adjust if something is wrong.
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
Should I include employer contributions in my labor cost?
Yes, absolutely. Employer contributions are approximately 25% on top of gross wages. If you only count gross wages, you underestimate your actual labor cost and your prime cost looks better than it really is.
What if my prime cost goes above 65% one day?
One bad day is not a disaster. Look at the trend over a week. If you're consistently above 65%, you need to take action: raise prices, reduce portions, or schedule more efficiently.
Can't I just estimate my food cost?
Estimating is dangerous. Many entrepreneurs think their food cost is 25%, when it's actually 35%. That 10 percentage point difference costs you €50,000 in profit per year on €500,000 in revenue.
How often should I adjust my target percentages?
Check your target figures every quarter. Seasons, new suppliers, and wage increases affect your costs. What was realistic in January might be too optimistic in June.
What if my food cost is low but my labor cost is high?
Then you have an efficiency problem, not a purchasing problem. Look at your scheduling: are you working with too much staff during quiet times? Or does mise-en-place take too long?
⚠️ EU Regulation 1169/2011 — Allergen Information — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/oj
The allergen information on this page is based on EU Regulation 1169/2011. Recipes and ingredients may vary by supplier. Always verify current allergen information with your supplier and communicate this correctly to your guests. KitchenNmbrs is not liable for allergic reactions.
In the UK, the FSA enforces allergen regulations under the Food Information Regulations 2014.
📚 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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