A chef who introduces new dishes without cost control can evaporate your profit within weeks. It happens more than you'd think: enthusiastic cooks create 'amazing' new dishes without calculating what they actually cost. The key is addressing this without crushing their creative spirit.
Why this is so dangerous
A chef who freely adds new dishes without cost control can destroy your entire margin within a month. The problem: chefs think in flavors and creativity, not in euros per portion.
💡 Example:
Your chef introduces a 'signature' risotto with truffle oil and 24-month parmesan:
- Arborio rice: €1.80
- Truffle oil: €3.20
- Aged parmesan: €4.50
- Other ingredients: €2.10
Total ingredients: €11.60
Selling price: €24.00 incl. VAT (€22.02 excl.)
Food cost: 52.7% - you're losing money on every portion!
The emotional side of the conversation
This isn't just a numbers problem, it's also a leadership problem. Your chef is proud of their creation. If you criticize the dish, you damage the relationship and demotivate creativity.
The wrong approach: "This dish is way too expensive, take it off the menu."
The right approach: "Great dish! Let's see how we can make it profitable."
Three scenarios to work with
💡 Scenario 1: Raise the price
At 30% desired food cost and €11.60 ingredients:
Minimum price: €11.60 / 0.30 = €38.67 excl. VAT = €42.15 incl. VAT
Question: will your target audience accept €42 for risotto?
💡 Scenario 2: Adjust ingredients
Keep the flavor, lower the costs:
- Less truffle oil (€2.20 instead of €3.20)
- Younger parmesan (€2.80 instead of €4.50)
- Slightly smaller portion
New ingredient costs: €8.30
Food cost at €24: 37.7% - still high but workable
💡 Scenario 3: Premium positioning
Make it a 'signature dish' with story and presentation. Raise to €32 and position as a specialty. Food cost then becomes 39.5% - acceptable for a top dish.
Prevention: implement a system
The real solution is a system where new dishes always go through cost control before they go on the menu. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, I've seen how quickly uncontrolled menu changes can spiral.
- Rule 1: No new dish without cost calculation
- Rule 2: Maximum food cost of 35% for new dishes
- Rule 3: Chef gets a budget per dish (e.g., max €8 ingredients)
- Rule 4: Weekly check of new dishes after 2 weeks of sales
⚠️ Note:
Don't make this a bureaucratic process. The goal is collaboration, not control. Involve your chef in the cost calculation and explain why it matters.
How to have this conversation
Step 1: Acknowledge the quality
"This tastes fantastic. I can really taste the quality of the ingredients."
Step 2: Explain the problem
"I've calculated the cost and we're at 53% food cost. That means we're losing money on every portion."
Step 3: Find solutions together
"How can we keep this flavor but lower the costs? Or do we need to adjust the price?"
Step 4: Make agreements for the future
"Can we agree to calculate new dishes before they go on the menu?"
Tools that help
A food cost calculator like KitchenNmbrs makes cost calculation so easy that your chef can do it themselves. You enter ingredients, the app automatically calculates the food cost. This way cost control becomes part of the creative process instead of a brake on it.
How do you handle an overly expensive new dish?
Calculate the exact cost
Add up all ingredients including oil, butter, garnish and spices. Calculate what the food cost percentage is at the current selling price.
Determine your options
Calculate what the price needs to be at 30% food cost, or what the ingredients can cost at the current price. This way you know what's possible.
Have the conversation positively
Start with compliments about the flavor. Then explain the numbers problem and look for solutions together. Make agreements for future dishes.
✨ Pro tip
Calculate the exact food cost within 48 hours of any unplanned menu addition. This gives you concrete numbers for the conversation and prevents weeks of profit loss while you figure out the damage.
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
What if my chef gets angry about cost control?
Explain that it's not about limiting creativity, but about keeping the restaurant healthy. A bankrupt restaurant can't make beautiful dishes anymore. Frame it as collaboration, not control.
Can I just take a new dish off the menu?
You can, but it damages your relationship with your chef. Better to work together on solutions: adjust ingredients, raise the price, or position the dish as a premium specialty.
What is an acceptable food cost percentage for new dishes?
For most restaurants this is between 28-35%. Premium dishes can be slightly higher (up to 40%), but only if they sell well and strengthen your image.
📚 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.
Make better decisions with real numbers
Should you change your menu? Raise prices? Test a new concept? KitchenNmbrs simulates scenarios with your own data. Try it free for 14 days.
Start free trial →