Your sous chef can do more than just cook - he can also think strategically about numbers. Many kitchen managers miss opportunities because they only see their sous as an executor, not as a thinking partner. By teaching your sous chef to create scenarios based on numbers, you get an extra pair of eyes on your operations and develop him as an entrepreneur.
Why your sous chef needs to be able to create scenarios
Your sous chef is in the kitchen every day and sees things you miss. He knows which dishes come back often, which ingredients are frequently wasted, and where bottlenecks occur. By teaching him to think in numbers, you get valuable insights from someone who understands the operation from the inside.
💡 Example of scenario thinking:
Your sous chef notices that your ribeye comes back often from guests. He creates this scenario:
- Ribeye costs €12 to buy, sells for €38 (32% food cost)
- 10% comes back = €120 waste per week
- On an annual basis: €6,240 loss from returned meat
His proposal: try a different preparation or different cut of meat
Start with simple 'what if' questions
Teach your sous chef to create scenarios by presenting him with concrete situations. Start simple: "What happens to our margin if tomatoes become 30% more expensive?" Have him calculate which dishes are hit hardest and what your options are.
- Scenario 1: Ingredient price rises - what do we do?
- Scenario 2: Dish sells poorly - calculate whether to keep or drop it?
- Scenario 3: New competitor opens - how do we respond?
- Scenario 4: Season changes - which dishes to adjust?
Teach him the key formulas
Your sous chef doesn't need to become an accountant, but he does need to understand the basic formulas. Focus on the formulas he can use daily to make better decisions.
💡 Core formulas for your sous chef:
- Food cost: (Ingredient costs / Sales price excl. VAT) × 100
- Break-even point: Fixed costs / (Sales price - Variable costs)
- Impact calculation: Difference per portion × Number of portions per week × 52
Give him access to the right numbers
Your sous chef can only create good scenarios if he has access to the right data. Share the key numbers with him: food cost per dish, purchase prices, sales volumes, and margins.
⚠️ Heads up:
Only share numbers that are relevant to his role. He doesn't need to see your full P&L, but he does need the food cost of the dishes he works with.
Make it practical with real situations
Use situations from your own kitchen to practice scenarios. If your supplier raises the price of salmon, have your sous chef calculate what this means for your salmon dishes and what options you have. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, I've seen that hands-on practice with actual menu items creates the fastest learning curve.
- Find another supplier - what does that save?
- Raise menu price - how much and what's the risk?
- Adjust portion size - impact on guest experience?
- Different type of fish - compare food cost and taste
Reward scenario thinking
If your sous chef comes up with a good scenario, take it seriously. Discuss his calculations, test his proposals, and give feedback. This teaches him that numerical thinking is valued.
💡 Example of reward:
Your sous chef suggests switching from lamb loin to lamb shoulder for your lamb dish:
- Lamb loin: €8.50 per portion (35% food cost)
- Lamb shoulder: €6.20 per portion (26% food cost)
- At 25 portions per week: €2,990 extra margin per year
Test the proposal and share the results with him
Use tools that make scenarios easier
Have your sous chef work with tools that automate scenario calculations. With an app like KitchenNmbrs, he can quickly calculate what happens if he adjusts ingredients or portion sizes, without having to do manual calculations.
How do you teach your sous chef to create scenarios? (step by step)
Start with one concrete scenario
Choose a real situation from your kitchen, for example an ingredient that becomes more expensive. Have him calculate what this means for food cost and what options you have.
Teach him the basic formulas
Make sure he can calculate food cost and calculate impact on an annual basis. Practice with real numbers from your kitchen until he can do it without help.
Give him a weekly scenario assignment
Ask him to calculate a 'what if' question every week. For example: what if we can make this dish 10% cheaper? Discuss his calculations and conclusions.
Let him propose scenarios himself
Once he masters the basics, ask him to come up with scenarios based on what he sees in the kitchen. Take his proposals seriously and test the best ones.
✨ Pro tip
Have your sous chef create scenarios around your top 3 revenue dishes within the first 2 weeks. Once he masters those calculations, he's already analyzing 60-70% of your kitchen's financial impact.
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
What if my sous chef has no affinity for numbers?
Start very simple with one formula: calculating food cost. Use real examples from your kitchen and show him how it helps him make better decisions. Most people learn it if they see the value in it.
How often should he create scenarios?
Start with one scenario per week. Once he gets the hang of it, he can create scenarios whenever he notices something in the kitchen. The goal is for it to become a natural reflex.
How do I know if his scenarios are good?
Check his calculations and see if his conclusions are logical. A good scenario has realistic assumptions, correct numbers, and concrete recommendations. Test the best proposals in practice.
📚 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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