Seeing waste costs pile up in your system is a warning signal that demands immediate action. It means you're losing money every day through waste, theft or incorrect portions. In this article, you'll learn step by step how to find the cause and stop it.
What does increasing waste mean?
Waste is the difference between what you've purchased and what you've sold. If this amount rises every week, money is structurally leaking out of your kitchen.
💡 Example:
Week 1: €250 waste
Week 2: €320 waste
Week 3: €410 waste
Trend: +€80 per week = €4,160 extra loss per year
The 3 main causes of increasing waste
Structural waste usually has one of these causes:
- Oversized portions: Chef serves more than calculated
- Waste from poor planning: Bought too much for the number of guests
- Theft or 'free' consumption: Staff takes products home
How to identify the cause
First check your top 5 best-selling dishes. The problem usually lies there, because small deviations have big impact.
💡 Example: Steak portion
Calculated: 200 grams steak at €32/kg = €6.40 per portion
Actual: 250 grams steak = €8.00 per portion
Extra costs: €1.60 per steak
At 40 steaks/week: €3,328 extra costs per year
Immediate actions to stop waste
Once you see increasing waste, take these steps:
- Stop all 'free' consumption for staff
- Weigh portions for one week of your top dishes
- Check your planning - are you buying too much for the number of reservations?
- Inventory daily what gets thrown away
⚠️ Note:
Waste of more than 8% of your purchases is alarming. On average it's between 3-6%. Above 10% you're structurally losing money.
Preventive measures
To keep waste structurally low:
- Set portion sizes and train your kitchen team
- Plan purchases based on reservations + experience
- Record daily what gets wasted and why
- Check weekly your waste by product category
Systems like KitchenNmbrs help track these figures automatically, so you spot trends faster and can intervene before things get out of hand.
How do you tackle increasing waste? (step by step)
Check your waste figures from the last 4 weeks
Go to your reporting and look at waste per week. Is there an upward trend? Note the difference between the lowest and highest week.
Identify your top 5 best-selling dishes
These dishes have the biggest impact on your waste. Check if the actual portion sizes match what you've set in the system.
Weigh all portions of these top dishes for 1 week
Have your kitchen team weigh every portion before it goes to the guest. Note deviations and calculate the extra costs per portion.
Set new portion sizes and train your team
Determine the exact grams per dish and make sure everyone in the kitchen knows what the standard is. Use scales during busy times.
Monitor your waste weekly by product category
Keep track of where the biggest losses are: meat, fish, vegetables or drinks. This way you can take targeted measures and spot trends early.
✨ Pro tip
Monitor not just the total waste amount, but also waste by product category. Often 80% of your problem is in 20% of your products - usually the most expensive ingredients like meat and fish.
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
How much waste is normal in a restaurant?
On average waste is between 3-6% of your total purchases. Above 8% is concerning and above 10% you're structurally losing money. Measure this weekly to see trends.
Can I prevent waste completely?
No, 0% waste is unrealistic. Something always goes wrong: a plate breaks, a guest sends something back, vegetables spoil. But keeping it under 5% is achievable with good control.
How do I know if my staff is taking products home?
Check if waste is higher on weekends or certain shifts. Inventory regularly and watch for products that are easy to take like meat, cheese or drinks.
Do I need to check waste every day?
Daily is too much work and creates too much noise. Weekly is perfect for spotting trends. With structural problems you can monitor daily temporarily until it's resolved.
What if waste suddenly spikes in one week?
Check if something unusual happened: new cook, big event, delivery problems or spoilage from power outage. One-time spikes are less serious than structural increases.
📚 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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