Most restaurants struggle between offering too many dishes and limiting customer choice. Oversized menus create waste and complexity, while tiny menus leave money on the table. Finding the sweet spot requires balancing your capacity, revenue targets, and waste control.
Why menu size determines your profit
Every dish on your menu costs money. Not just in ingredients, but also in inventory, your team's mental load and waste risk. Restaurants with oversized menus often lose money on dishes that are barely ordered.
⚠️ Watch out:
Any dish that accounts for less than 3% of your total sales is probably costing you money through waste and inventory costs.
The three factors that determine your menu size
1. Kitchen capacity
How many different dishes can your team prepare simultaneously without errors? This depends on your kitchen size, number of cooks and dish complexity.
2. Revenue per dish
Each dish needs to sell enough to justify its existence. If a dish generates less than €500 per month, question its value.
3. Waste percentage
More dishes equal more different ingredients, which increases your waste risk. Typical waste ranges between 5-15% of your purchases.
💡 Example:
Restaurant with 40 covers per evening, 6 days per week:
- Total covers per month: 1,040
- If each dish must sell at least 3%: 31 portions per month
- At average bill of €28: minimum €868 revenue per dish
Result: maximum 33 dishes on the menu
Calculate your optimal number of main courses
Start with this formula:
Maximum number of dishes = (Monthly covers × 0.70) / 30
The 0.70 assumes 70% of your guests order a main course. The 30 represents the minimum monthly portions needed per dish.
💡 Example calculation:
Bistro with 800 covers per month:
- Main courses ordered: 800 × 0.70 = 560
- Minimum per dish: 30 portions
- Maximum number: 560 / 30 = 18 main courses
Target: 15-18 main courses
Factor in waste impact
More dishes means more different ingredients and higher waste risk. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, here's what you can expect:
- 10-15 dishes: 8-12% waste
- 16-25 dishes: 12-18% waste
- 25+ dishes: 18-25% waste
With higher waste, each dish needs to generate more revenue to stay profitable.
💡 Waste impact:
Restaurant with €15,000 monthly purchases:
- With 15 dishes (10% waste): €1,500 loss
- With 30 dishes (20% waste): €3,000 loss
Difference: €1,500 per month = €18,000 per year
Check your kitchen capacity
Your team can only prepare a limited number of dishes simultaneously without mistakes. Watch for these warning signs:
- Wait times increase: Too much complexity
- Order mistakes: Team is overwhelmed
- Kitchen stress: Too many different preparations
- Inconsistent quality: Some dishes don't always turn out right
⚠️ Watch out:
A cook can typically manage 6-8 different preparations at once. With more than 20 dishes you need at least 2 experienced cooks.
Apply the 80/20 rule
In most restaurants: 20% of dishes account for 80% of revenue. Analyze your sales data:
- Which 5 dishes do you sell the most?
- Which dishes sell fewer than 20 times per month?
- Which ingredients do you use for just 1 dish?
Dishes that sell poorly and require unique ingredients are prime candidates for removal.
Practical step-by-step plan for menu optimization
Get your sales data from the past 3 months and create a list:
- Rank all dishes by sales volume
- Calculate revenue per dish per month
- Identify dishes under €500 revenue/month
- Check which ingredients are only used for these dishes
- Calculate how much waste these ingredients cause
Tools like a food cost calculator help you do this analysis automatically, so you see exactly which dishes are profitable and which cost you money.
How do you calculate the ideal menu size? (step by step)
Calculate your monthly kitchen capacity
Count your average covers per month and multiply by 0.70 (percentage ordering main course). This gives you total main courses you need to be able to deliver per month.
Determine minimum sales per dish
Each dish must sell at least 30 portions per month to be profitable (3% of total sales). Divide your total main courses by 30 for your maximum number of dishes on the menu.
Check waste impact
Calculate how much extra waste more dishes cost. With 15 dishes: 10% waste, with 25+ dishes: 18-25% waste. Adjust your maximum number based on acceptable waste level.
Analyze current sales figures
Make a list of all your dishes ranked by sales volume. Remove dishes that generate less than €500 per month and require unique ingredients not used elsewhere.
Test your kitchen capacity
Monitor whether your team can prepare all dishes without stress and mistakes during busy times. If wait times increase or quality drops, you have too many dishes for your current capacity.
✨ Pro tip
Track your top 6 dishes over the next 8 weeks - they should generate at least 65% of your total food revenue. If they don't hit this target, your menu is too scattered and you're losing money on underperforming items.
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 many dishes can I have maximum without excessive waste?
This depends on your revenue and capacity. As a rule of thumb: with 800 covers per month maximum 18 main courses, with 1,200 covers maximum 28 main courses. More dishes usually means exceeding 15% waste, which hurts profitability.
What if a dish sells poorly but guests expect it?
Check if you can make the dish with ingredients you also use for other dishes. If it requires unique ingredients and generates less than €300 per month, it's probably costing you money through waste and inventory complexity.
How often should I analyze and adjust my menu?
Analyze your sales figures monthly and adjust your menu quarterly. Seasonal adjustments can be more frequent, but give new dishes at least 6 weeks to prove themselves before making changes.
Should I count daily specials in my menu size calculation?
No, daily specials are a way to use up leftovers and seasonal products efficiently. Only count fixed menu dishes in your optimal menu size calculation since they require consistent inventory planning.
📚 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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