Having control over your numbers is the difference between surviving and disappearing in a tough market. Many hospitality businesses operate on gut feeling and hope for the best, but without exact figures you don't know where your money is leaking away. In this article you'll learn why numerical control makes the difference between a business that survives and one that has to close its doors.
Why numbers determine your business's right to exist
In good times you can get away with guesswork. Full restaurant, happy guests, money left over at the end of the month. But as soon as the market tightens - higher rents, more expensive ingredients, fewer guests - every euro becomes crucial.
⚠️ Watch out:
Businesses that don't have control over their numbers are the first to disappear when economic headwinds hit. They only realize they're making losses when it's too late.
Without exact figures you make decisions based on assumptions. You think your popular pasta is profitable, but maybe you're losing €3 per plate. You don't raise your prices because you're afraid of losing customers, while you're slowly going bankrupt.
What having control over numbers actually means
Having control means you know exactly every day, every week:
- Food cost per dish: What do the ingredients for each plate cost?
- Total food cost percentage: How much of your revenue goes to purchasing?
- Break-even point: How much do you need to turn over to break even?
- Margin per guest: How much do you net earn from each customer?
- Leaks: Where is your money disappearing without you noticing?
💡 Example:
Restaurant A and B both have €20,000 revenue per month:
- Restaurant A: food cost 38%, no portion control
- Restaurant B: food cost 28%, strict portion control
Difference per month: €2,000. Per year: €24,000. That's the difference between profit and loss.
The hidden costs that destroy your business
Many entrepreneurs only look at the big items: rent, staff, major suppliers. But the real leaks are in the details:
- Oversized portions: 20 grams extra meat per plate = €3,000+ per year
- No control over cutting waste: You calculate with €18/kg salmon, actually pay €32/kg
- Waste from poor planning: 10% of your purchases end up in the trash
- Outdated menu prices: Supplier raised prices, you didn't
- Theft or carelessness: Staff takes things or throws them away without thinking
💡 Example of hidden leak:
Your chef gives 280 grams of steak instead of 220 grams:
- Extra meat per portion: 60 grams
- Price of beef: €40/kg = €2.40 extra per plate
- At 30 steaks per week: €72 per week
Annual loss: €3,744 on one dish
How numbers help you survive in tough times
With exact figures you can quickly adjust if things go wrong:
- Raise prices where you can: Which dishes can go up 5% without losing customers?
- Optimize your menu: Which dishes generate the most? Push those harder.
- Lower costs without losing quality: Where can you save 2% without customers noticing?
- React quickly to cost increases: Supplier raises prices? Adjust your menu price immediately.
⚠️ Watch out:
Businesses that wait months to adjust prices fall thousands of euros behind the facts. In a tough market, that's the death blow.
From gut feeling to facts: making the switch
Many hospitality entrepreneurs work on intuition. "This dish is doing well", "That supplier is expensive", "We're making profit". But gut feeling often doesn't match reality.
💡 Example of gut feeling vs. facts:
Gut feeling: "Our pizzas are doing great, they make good money"
Facts after calculation:
- Margherita pizza: food cost 18% → good
- Quattro stagioni pizza: food cost 42% → loss maker
Action: Raise quattro stagioni price €2 or adjust ingredients.
The switch from gut feeling to numbers doesn't have to be complex. Start with your 5 best-selling dishes. Calculate the exact food cost. If it's above 35%, you're losing money.
Digital tools vs. Excel: why one system makes sense
Many entrepreneurs start with Excel or separate systems for different tasks. That works at first, but becomes chaotic when you want more control:
- Excel: Lots of work, error-prone, not mobile
- Separate tools: Recipes in app A, prices in Excel, HACCP on paper
- No system: Everything in your head or on scraps of paper
An integrated system like KitchenNmbrs brings everything together: recipes with automatic cost calculation, supplier prices, HACCP registration, allergen lists. One place, always up to date, mobile accessible.
⚠️ Watch out:
A system is only as good as the data you put into it. Even with the best app you have to keep your prices current and control portions yourself.
When investing in numerical control pays for itself
The investment in a system for numerical control usually pays for itself within weeks:
- Discovering loss makers: One underpriced dish costs you €100+ per month
- Better portion control: 5% less waste = €200-500 per month
- Faster price adjustments: Don't fall behind on cost increases
- Less stress: You know where you stand, no surprises
💡 ROI calculation example:
KitchenNmbrs costs €25 per month. If you:
- Save €50 per month on waste
- Earn €100 per month more through better pricing
ROI: €150 - €25 = €125 net per month
How do you get control over your numbers? (step by step)
Start with your top 5 dishes
Take your 5 best-selling dishes and calculate the exact food cost. Add up all ingredients, divide by selling price excl. VAT, multiply by 100. If you're above 35%, you're losing money on that dish.
Set up daily checks
Check every day: yesterday's revenue, number of covers, stock of top sellers, waste. This takes 10 minutes but prevents big surprises at the end of the month.
Use one system for everything
Stop using Excel and separate tools. Choose an integrated system that combines recipes, cost prices, HACCP and allergen registration. This prevents errors and saves time.
✨ Pro tip
Start with one dish you're sure is profitable. Calculate the exact food cost and use that as a benchmark. If other dishes have a much higher food cost, you know where to intervene.
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
Isn't it too late if you're already making losses?
It's never too late to get control over your numbers. Many businesses turn things around by discovering loss makers and adjusting prices. Even if you're already losing money, you can stop the bleeding.
How much time does it take to keep track of your numbers?
With a good system it takes 10-15 minutes per day for basic checks. Once a week 30 minutes for deeper analysis. That's much less time than you lose searching for problems afterwards.
Can't you just estimate your food cost?
Estimates are often 5-10% too low. At €30,000 revenue per month that means €1,500-3,000 difference. Exact calculation takes little time but saves a lot of money.
What if my staff resists the control?
Explain that it's not about control but about the business surviving. If the business goes bankrupt, nobody has a job anymore. Involve your team in finding solutions instead of just pointing out problems.
Does KitchenNmbrs also work for small businesses?
KitchenNmbrs is specifically designed for independent hospitality with 1-5 locations. It's affordable (from €24.99/month) and simple enough to see results quickly without complex training.
📚 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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