How do I calculate labor costs per hour for...

What are mise-en-place labor costs?

Mise-en-place labor costs cover every wage expense tied to prep work. This includes chopping vegetables, making sauces, portioning proteins, and setting up for service.

• Gross wages of cooks during prep time
• Employer contributions (pension premiums, unemployment insurance, etc.)
• Holiday pay and 13th month bonus
• Health insurance employer contribution

These expenses stay hidden but typically represent 20-30% of your wage costs.

Calculate your total labor costs per hour

Your actual labor costs extend far beyond gross wages. Here's the formula:

Total labor costs per hour = (Gross hourly wage + Employer contributions) × Holiday pay and bonus markup

Employer contributions in the Netherlands run approximately 25-30% of gross wages. This covers:

• Employee insurance (unemployment, disability, healthcare): ~7%
• Employer pension contribution: ~10-15%
• Health insurance: ~5-7%
• Other levies: ~2-3%

Measure your mise-en-place time

You'll need precise timing data to calculate hourly costs. Track these metrics for one full week:

• What time does prep start?
• What time is everything ready for service?
• How many people are involved in prep?
• What tasks are being done?

Most restaurants follow this breakdown:

• 40% of work time: mise-en-place
• 50% of work time: service
• 10% of work time: cleanup and sanitation

Calculate costs per cover

After determining mise-en-place costs and guest counts, you can calculate per-cover expenses:

Mise-en-place costs per cover = Total mise-en-place costs / Number of covers

This metric reveals efficiency trends. Rising mise-en-place costs without increased guest counts signals declining productivity. And it's a pattern we see repeatedly in restaurant financials - kitchens that don't track prep costs often see labor expenses creep up 15-20% annually.

Optimize your mise-en-place planning

Now that you know prep costs, you can plan more strategically:

• Batch larger: Chop vegetables for 2 days instead of daily
• Prep during quiet times: Do heavy prep on Monday for the rest of the week
• Divide tasks wisely: Have junior cooks do simple prep
• Use leftovers: Plan dishes that share the same prep

A system like KitchenNmbrs helps track prep task duration, enabling better planning and reduced labor costs.

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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

Plan your mise-en-place with cost overview

Good mise-en-place starts with knowing what you need and what it costs. KitchenNmbrs connects your recipes to order lists and inventory. Try it free for 14 days.