Most restaurant owners have never actually calculated how much time their menu costs them. A complex menu with 40+ dishes eats up 3-5x more time than a simple menu with 15 dishes. The math is brutal, but you need to see it.
Why calculating time investment matters
An extensive menu looks impressive on paper - more choice for guests, more chances to upsell. But every single dish demands time in prep, purchasing and quality checks. Skip this calculation and you'll burn out your team while your profits disappear.
⚠️ Watch out:
Most kitchens run 30+ dishes but generate 80% of revenue from just 8-10 items. The rest? Pure time and money drain.
Calculate your daily mise-en-place time
Every dish requires daily prep work regardless of sales volume. For each item, track:
- Prep work: chopping vegetables, portioning proteins
- Sauces: making, heating, refilling containers
- Garnishes: washing, cutting, proper storage
- Quality checks: freshness control, reordering supplies
💡 Example simple menu (15 dishes):
Daily mise-en-place per dish: 8 minutes average
- Total time: 15 × 8 = 120 minutes (2 hours)
- Cost at €18/hour: €36 per day
- Monthly total: €36 × 26 = €936
💡 Example complex menu (40 dishes):
Daily mise-en-place per dish: 12 minutes average (more intricate prep)
- Total time: 40 × 12 = 480 minutes (8 hours)
- Cost at €18/hour: €144 per day
- Monthly total: €144 × 26 = €3.744
Difference: €2.808 extra per month in prep time alone
Calculate purchasing time per dish
More dishes mean more ingredients, suppliers, and orders to manage. Factor in these tasks per dish:
- Order time: calculating quantities, placing orders
- Delivery checks: verifying quality and expiration dates
- Storage tasks: proper ingredient storage
- Inventory tracking: monitoring what's running low
A simple menu needs about 45 minutes of purchasing time daily. A complex menu with diverse ingredients? You're looking at 2.5 hours per day. This is a pattern we see repeatedly in restaurant financials - purchasing time scales exponentially, not linearly.
Add quality control
More dishes mean more quality checkpoints. And this time often gets forgotten in calculations:
- Tasting each dish for proper seasoning
- Checking portion consistency across plates
- Verifying presentation standards are met
- Making corrections and adjustments
💡 Total monthly calculation:
Simple menu (15 dishes):
- Mise-en-place: €936
- Purchasing: €585 (45 min × €18 × 26 days)
- Quality control: €234 (15 min × €18 × 26 days)
Total: €1.755 per month
Complex menu (40 dishes):
- Mise-en-place: €3.744
- Purchasing: €1.170 (2.5 hours × €18 × 26 days)
- Quality control: €702 (45 min × €18 × 26 days)
Total: €5.616 per month
Difference: €3.861 per month = €46.332 per year
The 80/20 principle in practice
Your reality check: 20% of your dishes drive 80% of revenue. The remaining 80% of your menu burns disproportionate time for minimal return.
⚠️ Watch out:
Track which dishes sell least. If you're moving fewer than 5 portions weekly of any dish, it's probably costing more than it earns.
Menu optimization tools
You need clear data on which dishes sell most and generate highest profits. Calculate prep time per dish against actual profit margins. Software solutions can track this automatically, giving you the numbers to make smart menu decisions.
How do you calculate time investment? (step by step)
Inventory all dishes and time investment
Make a list of all dishes on your menu. Note per dish how many minutes of daily mise-en-place it takes (prep work, sauces, garnishes). Also add the purchasing time per dish: how much extra time does it take to order and check the ingredients?
Calculate monthly costs per category
Multiply the daily time per dish by the number of working days per month (usually 26). Convert this time to costs by multiplying by your hourly wage for kitchen staff (average €18-22 per hour).
Compare with revenue per dish and make choices
Compare the monthly time costs per dish against the revenue it generates. Dishes that sell little but take much time are candidates for removal. Focus on the 20% of dishes that generate 80% of your revenue.
✨ Pro tip
Time your 7 most complex dishes over the next 21 days - include sauce prep, garnish work, and quality checks. You'll discover at least 3 dishes that consume 40+ minutes daily but generate less than €15 profit per day.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
How many dishes should a profitable menu have?
For most restaurants, 12-18 dishes hits the sweet spot. This provides adequate choice without drowning your kitchen in prep work. Once you exceed 25 dishes, labor costs typically spiral out of control.
What if I have dishes that take 30+ minutes of daily prep but only sell 2-3 portions weekly?
Cut them immediately. Those dishes are profit killers that tie up your team's time and energy. Replace them with simpler variations of your top sellers, or eliminate them entirely and watch your margins improve.
How do I track prep time accurately without micromanaging my kitchen staff?
Time each dish's prep work during one full week, including all components and quality checks. Have different team members prep the same dishes to get realistic averages. Most chefs are shocked by the actual numbers versus their estimates.
📚 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.
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.
Start free trial →