Digitizing your recipe library takes time, but saves you hundreds of hours of searching later. Most restaurant owners underestimate the actual time commitment and start too optimistically. You'll calculate exactly how much time you need, so you can make a realistic plan.
Why calculating time matters
Without a proper time estimate, you'll start with good intentions but stop halfway because it 'takes forever'. By calculating your time investment upfront, you can divide the work and set realistic deadlines.
⚠️ Note:
Many entrepreneurs think they can digitize 50 recipes in a weekend. Reality check: one solid recipe takes 15-30 minutes to fully document.
The components of time per recipe
A fully digitized recipe has multiple parts. Each part eats up time:
- List ingredients: 3-5 minutes
- Determine exact quantities: 5-8 minutes
- Write out preparation method: 5-10 minutes
- Calculate food cost: 3-5 minutes
- Check allergens: 2-3 minutes
- Take photo (optional): 5 minutes
? Example time investment per recipe:
Simple recipe (salad, pasta):
- Ingredients: 3 minutes
- Quantities: 5 minutes
- Preparation: 5 minutes
- Food cost: 3 minutes
- Allergens: 2 minutes
Total: 18 minutes
? Example time investment complex recipe:
Complex recipe (stew, sauce with multiple components):
- Ingredients: 5 minutes
- Quantities: 8 minutes
- Preparation: 10 minutes
- Food cost: 5 minutes
- Allergens: 3 minutes
Total: 31 minutes
Calculate your total time investment
Use this formula to calculate your total time:
Total time = (Number of simple recipes × 18 min) + (Number of complex recipes × 31 min)
Count recipe variations too. Pasta carbonara and pasta bolognese are two separate recipes, even though they seem similar.
? Example calculation restaurant:
Restaurant with 45 recipes:
- 30 simple recipes: 30 × 18 = 540 minutes
- 15 complex recipes: 15 × 31 = 465 minutes
- Total: 1,005 minutes = 16.8 hours
Spread over 4 weeks = 4.2 hours per week
Save time with a smart approach
You can cut down the time by working smartly—the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss:
- Start with your bestsellers: Begin with your 10 top-selling dishes
- Group similar recipes: Do all pastas back-to-back
- Use a chef who knows the recipes: They know the quantities by heart
- Digitize during quiet moments: Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning
⚠️ Note:
Plan 20% extra time for unexpected things: missing recipes, debates about the right quantities, or technical issues.
The payback period
The time you invest pays back quickly. A digitized recipe library saves you:
- Search time: 5-10 minutes per day (no more flipping through notebooks)
- Discussions: Everyone uses the same quantities
- Food cost updates: Automatic adjustments when ingredient prices change
- Training new staff: Everything's clearly documented
At 7 minutes saved per day, you'll recoup your investment in 4-6 months.
Related articles
How do you calculate the time investment? (step by step)
Count all your recipes
Make a list of all dishes on your menu, including variations and seasonal dishes. Don't forget: side dishes, sauces and dressings are also recipes that take time.
Divide into simple and complex
Simple: salads, pastas, grilled dishes (18 min per recipe). Complex: stews, sauces with multiple steps, dishes with many ingredients (31 min per recipe).
Calculate total time
Use the formula: (Simple recipes × 18 min) + (Complex recipes × 31 min) + 20% buffer. Divide this by the number of hours per week you can work on it.
✨ Pro tip
Budget 25 minutes per recipe for your first 10 dishes—this accounts for the learning curve with your chosen system. After digitizing those initial recipes, you'll speed up to the 18-31 minute range.
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
Can't I go faster by entering recipes roughly?
Do I really have to digitize all recipes?
What if I don't have time to do this myself?
How often do I need to update my digital recipes?
What if my chef has the recipes 'in his head'?
Should I include seasonal menu items in my initial digitization?
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
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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