Most restaurants see bread crusts as waste, but smart operators view them as profit opportunities. You're literally throwing money in the trash when day-old bread gets tossed. Calculate margins on these 'free' ingredients correctly and watch your bottom line improve.
Why bread crusts are worth money
Bread crusts cost you nothing extra, yet they hold real value. Toss them out? You're losing money. Transform them into dishes? Pure profit.
💡 Example:
Your restaurant discards 2 kg of bread crusts daily:
- Bread purchase: €4 per kg
- Thrown away: 2 kg × €4 = €8 per day
- Per year: €8 × 300 days = €2,400
This money vanishes in the trash.
Calculate the 'purchase price' of your bread crusts
Even though bread crusts seem 'free', they carry a cost. Here's your calculation method:
Cost of bread crusts = (Price whole bread / Weight whole bread) × Weight crusts
💡 Example calculation:
You buy bread for €4 per kg. Each kg yields 200 grams of crust:
- Cost of crusts: €4 × 0.2 kg = €0.80 per kg crusts
- For 500 grams of crusts: €0.80 × 0.5 = €0.40
This €0.40 becomes your 'purchase price' for the crusts.
Add all other ingredients
Bread crusts alone don't create a dish. Calculate every additional ingredient you'll use:
- Eggs for French toast
- Milk and spices
- Oil or butter for frying
- Garnish or sauce
💡 Example: French toast from bread crusts
Ingredients per serving:
- Bread crusts (200g): €0.32
- 2 eggs: €0.60
- Milk (100ml): €0.15
- Butter for frying: €0.20
- Powdered sugar: €0.10
- Jam: €0.30
Total cost: €1.67
Calculate your food cost percentage
From analyzing actual purchasing data across different restaurant types, the calculation remains identical to any standard dish:
Food cost % = (Total ingredient costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
💡 Example calculation:
You sell the French toast for €8.50 (incl. 9% VAT):
- Selling price excl. VAT: €8.50 / 1.09 = €7.80
- Ingredient costs: €1.67
- Food cost: (€1.67 / €7.80) × 100 = 21.4%
That's an excellent margin!
The real profit: from loss to gain
Dishes made from 'waste' deliver double wins:
- Less waste: You discard less
- Extra revenue: You sell something new
- Low food cost: The main ingredient costs almost nothing
⚠️ Note:
Always count all ingredients, including the 'free' bread crusts. Otherwise you'll get a skewed picture of your actual margins.
Other dishes from bread crusts
French toast isn't your only option:
- Breadcrumbs: For schnitzel and gratins
- Croutons: For soups and salads
- Bread pudding: As a dessert
- Panzanella: Italian bread salad
For each dish you calculate margins identically: add up all ingredients and divide by the selling price excl. VAT.
💡 Example: Croutons as a side dish
Cost per serving of croutons:
- Bread crusts (100g): €0.16
- Olive oil: €0.15
- Garlic and spices: €0.10
Total: €0.41 for a side dish of €3.50. Food cost: 12.9%!
How do you calculate the margin on dishes made from bread crusts?
Calculate the cost of your bread crusts
Divide the price of the whole bread by the weight, and multiply by the weight of the crusts. This way you know what your 'free' ingredient really costs.
Add up all other ingredients
Make a list of everything you add: eggs, milk, spices, oil, garnish. Calculate the cost per serving for each ingredient.
Calculate your food cost percentage
Divide the total ingredient costs by your selling price excl. VAT and multiply by 100. This gives you the food cost percentage for the dish.
✨ Pro tip
Track your bread waste for exactly 14 days, then calculate the annual cost - most operators discover they're losing €1,800-3,200 yearly. Transform just 60% of those crusts into profitable dishes and recover that money.
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
Do I really need to count bread crusts if they're thrown away anyway?
Absolutely. Even 'free' ingredients carry value. Skip counting them and you'll get distorted margin pictures, making accurate pricing impossible.
How do I know how many bread crusts I have left over per day?
Weigh your bread waste for one week straight. Divide by seven days for your daily average. Most restaurants see 15-25% of their bread become crusts.
Can I safely use old bread crusts?
Only use crusts from the same day or maximum 1 day old. Always check for mold or strange smells first. Food safety trumps profitability every time.
What food cost is normal for dishes made from leftovers?
Because your main ingredient costs so little, you can often stay under 25% food cost. This compensates for higher-margin dishes and boosts overall profitability.
📚 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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