Running restaurant specials is like fishing - you need to know where the hungry customers are swimming. Many restaurants lose money by offering specials on busy weekend days, when they could sell out at regular prices. Smart timing separates profitable promotions from revenue drains.
Analyze your occupancy rate per day
First, figure out when your restaurant is full and when it's not. A special only makes sense when you'd otherwise have empty tables.
- Count your covers per day over the past 4 weeks
- Calculate your average occupancy per weekday
- Days under 70% occupancy are candidates for specials
- Days above 85% occupancy don't need a special
💡 Example:
Restaurant with 40 seats, 2 services per evening = 80 possible covers:
- Monday: 35 covers = 44% occupancy
- Tuesday: 42 covers = 53% occupancy
- Wednesday: 55 covers = 69% occupancy
- Friday: 75 covers = 94% occupancy
Conclusion: Offer special only on Monday and Tuesday
Calculate the minimum special price
Your special still needs to make a profit. So calculate what you need to charge at minimum to cover your costs.
Formula: Minimum special price = (Ingredient costs / Desired food cost) × 1.09 (for VAT)
💡 Example calculation:
Pasta special with ingredients costing €6.50:
- Desired food cost: 30%
- Minimum price excl. VAT: €6.50 / 0.30 = €21.67
- Minimum price incl. VAT: €21.67 × 1.09 = €23.62
You can offer this pasta as a special from €24.00
Compare specials with your regular menu
A special should be attractive to guests, but shouldn't differ too much from your regular prices. Otherwise it'll cannibalize your regular sales.
- A discount of 15-25% is usually enough to grab attention
- More than 30% discount makes guests think something's wrong
- Check that your special isn't cheaper than comparable dishes
⚠️ Watch out:
Never offer a special that's cheaper than your cheapest regular main course. Then everyone will ask for the special.
Test and measure your results
Start with your special only on weekdays and measure what happens. After 4 weeks you'll have enough data to decide. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, the pattern is clear: successful specials increase total covers without destroying check averages.
Measure these figures:
- How many specials do you sell per evening?
- Does your total number of covers increase on special days?
- Does the sales of other main courses drop?
- What's your revenue per cover with and without the special?
💡 Example result:
After 4 weeks of Monday pasta special for €24.00:
- Covers on Monday: from 35 to 48 (+37%)
- Specials sold: 22 per evening
- Revenue per cover: from €32 to €29
- Total revenue Monday: from €1,120 to €1,392 (+24%)
Result: Special is successful, more revenue despite lower check average
When to expand to weekends
Only expand to weekends if you still have capacity there. Friday and Saturday are usually your money days - you don't need a discount to fill tables.
Consider a weekend special only if:
- Weekend occupancy is below 80%
- There's a lot of competition nearby
- Seasonal dip (January, February)
- New restaurant still building awareness
How do you determine if a special is profitable? (step by step)
Measure your current occupancy rate
Count your covers per day for 4 weeks. Calculate your average occupancy per weekday. Days under 70% are candidates for a special.
Calculate your minimum special price
Divide your ingredient costs by your desired food cost percentage. Multiply by 1.09 for VAT. This is your absolute minimum to make a profit.
Test for 4 weeks on weekdays only
Start conservatively with only Monday through Wednesday. Measure how many specials you sell and whether your total revenue increases. After 4 weeks you can decide about expansion.
✨ Pro tip
Track your Monday-Thursday occupancy for 6 weeks before launching any special. If those slow days consistently hit under 65% capacity, start with your weakest day only.
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 discount should I give on my special?
Between 15-25% discount usually attracts enough attention. More than 30% discount raises suspicion with guests and costs you too much margin.
What if my special becomes too popular?
Then you can raise the price or limit the special to certain days. A too-popular special means your price was too low.
How long should I test a special?
At least 4 weeks to get a reliable average. One bad week doesn't say anything about the success of your special.
📚 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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