Administration and daily operations in one system brings peace to your kitchen. Instead of recipes in a notebook, temperatures on paper and food costs in Excel, you work with one central database. This prevents errors, saves time and gives you real-time insight into your numbers.
From fragmentation to overview
In most kitchens, data is scattered across different places:
- Recipes in a notebook or loose sheets
- HACCP temperatures on paper lists
- Food costs in an Excel file (if you're lucky)
- Allergens on a note behind the register
- Purchase prices in your head or on invoices
It works, but it takes a lot of time and leads to errors. Especially when your team grows or you open a second location.
💡 Example:
Your chef notes a new supplier price for salmon. He forgets to tell you. You're still calculating with the old price of €18/kg, while you're now paying €22/kg.
With 50 salmon dishes per week you lose: 50 × €0.80 × 52 weeks = €2,080 per year
What changes with one system?
Real-time food costs
When your supplier raises prices, you update it once. All recipes with that ingredient immediately show the new food cost. No more surprises at the end of the month.
Consistent recipes
Everyone on your team works with the same recipes. No more discussions about how much butter goes in the risotto, or which garnish goes with which dish.
Automatic calculations
You don't have to calculate anymore. The system automatically calculates your food cost percentage, minimum selling price and profit margin per dish.
💡 Example:
Your pasta carbonara with ingredients costing €6.80. You sell it for €22.50 incl. VAT.
- Selling price excl. VAT: €20.64
- Food cost: (€6.80 / €20.64) × 100 = 32.9%
- Profit margin: €13.84 per plate
The system calculates this automatically. Every time you adjust a price.
Fewer errors, more control
No forgotten updates
New purchase price? You enter it once. All dishes with that ingredient update automatically. No more Excel sheets you forget to update.
React faster to changes
Supplier suddenly raises prices? You immediately see which dishes become too expensive. You can adjust right away: different supplier, smaller portion, or higher selling price.
Team communication
New employee? They immediately see all recipes, allergens and procedures. No more lengthy explanations about "how we do it here".
⚠️ Note:
A system is only as good as the data you put into it. You still need to measure temperatures and update prices. The system doesn't do this automatically.
From reactive to proactive
With fragmented administration, you're always catching up. Checking invoices, calculating what you're losing, discovering after the fact that a dish has become too expensive.
With one system you become proactive:
- You immediately see which dishes generate the most profit
- You get an alert if a food cost goes above 35%
- You can calculate different scenarios before adjusting prices
- You always have current figures at hand
This brings peace of mind. You know where you stand and can make conscious choices instead of guessing.
💡 Example:
You're considering adding a new dish. Instead of estimating, you calculate it:
- Ingredients: €8.40
- Desired food cost: 30%
- Minimum price: €8.40 / 0.30 = €28.00 excl. VAT
- Menu price: €30.52 incl. VAT
You know exactly what you need to charge to be profitable.
Practical benefits in daily routine
HACCP becomes easier
You register temperatures digitally. During a food safety inspection, you don't search through stacks of paper anymore, but filter by date and location.
Allergens always up-to-date
Change a recipe? The allergen information adjusts automatically. No more outdated lists that lead to dangerous situations.
Faster decisions
Which dish to promote on social media? Choose the dish with the highest margin. Which dish to remove from the menu? The dish that sells poorly and generates little profit.
Making the switch: what changes for you?
The first few weeks it takes time to enter everything. Digitizing recipes, updating prices, explaining to your team how it works. But after that:
- Less time on administration
- More confidence in your prices
- React faster to changes
- Better communication with your team
- More control over your numbers
You no longer work against your administration, but with it. It supports your daily decisions instead of holding you back.
How do you make the switch to one system?
Assess your current situation
Gather all recipes, price lists and procedures you currently use. Make a list of where everything is: notebooks, Excel files, loose notes. This gives you insight into how fragmented your data is.
Start with your most important dishes
Start with your 10 best-selling dishes. Enter the recipes and current purchase prices into the system. Check if the calculated food cost matches what you expect.
Train your team step by step
Let your team get used to the new system. Start with looking up recipes, then registering temperatures. Make sure everyone knows where to find the information they need.
✨ Pro tip
Start with a 30-day trial period. Enter only your 5 best-selling dishes and see if the system gives you the insights you're looking for. Only then expand to your full menu.
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
Doesn't setting up such a system take a lot of time?
It does in the first few weeks. You need to enter recipes and update prices. But after that it saves you time because you no longer have to search for information or calculate manually.
What if my team isn't digitally savvy?
Start slowly. Let them first just look up recipes in the system. Once they're used to that, you add other features like temperature registration. Most systems are designed intuitively.
Can I transfer my Excel data?
Many systems can import Excel files. You don't have to retype everything. Check with the supplier which formats they support.
What happens if the system goes down?
Good systems have backup servers and work offline too. You can always access your recipes and temperature records. Ask about the uptime guarantee before you choose.
Isn't such a system too expensive for a small business?
Systems for independent hospitality businesses often cost less than €50 per month. If you discover just one incorrectly priced dish, you've already earned it back.
📚 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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