Purchasing figures are the key to smarter pricing. Many restaurant owners only look at total purchasing costs, but miss opportunities to improve their margins. By systematically analyzing your purchasing figures, you'll discover which dishes are priced too low and where you can raise prices without losing customers.
Collect your purchasing figures per dish
Start by mapping out your actual purchasing costs. Not what you think it costs, but what you actually pay your suppliers.
💡 Example:
Steak menu for €32.00 (incl. 9% VAT):
- Steak 200g: €6.40
- Fries 300g: €0.45
- Vegetables: €1.20
- Sauce: €0.35
- Butter/oil: €0.25
Total ingredient costs: €8.65
Take your 10 best-selling dishes and calculate what the ingredients actually cost. Include everything: main ingredients, garnishes, sauces, and even the oil in the pan.
Calculate your current food cost per dish
Now you can work out what percentage of your selling price goes to ingredients. This is your food cost percentage.
Formula: Food cost % = (Ingredient costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
💡 Example calculation:
Steak from above:
- Menu price: €32.00 incl. VAT
- Excl. VAT: €32.00 ÷ 1.09 = €29.36
- Ingredients: €8.65
- Food cost: (€8.65 ÷ €29.36) × 100 = 29.5%
Create an overview of all your dishes with their food cost percentage. Dishes above 35% are often priced too low.
Identify opportunities for price increases
Now comes the interesting part: which dishes can you make more expensive without losing customers?
- Popular dishes with high food cost: These are your first candidates
- Unique specialties: Dishes customers can't get anywhere else
- Premium ingredients: Wagyu, lobster, truffle - customers expect higher prices
⚠️ Heads up:
Never raise all prices at once. Start with 2-3 dishes and test your guests' reaction.
Calculate the impact of price adjustments
For each dish you want to adjust, work out what a price increase means for your margin.
💡 Example impact:
Steak from €32.00 to €35.00:
- New price excl. VAT: €32.11
- New food cost: (€8.65 ÷ €32.11) × 100 = 26.9%
- Extra margin per portion: €2.75
- At 50 portions/month: €1,650 extra per year
Monitor the results
After a price adjustment, you track three things:
- Sales numbers: Are you selling less of this dish?
- Customer feedback: Are guests complaining about the price?
- Total revenue: Does the higher price compensate for any drop in volume?
If sales drop by less than 10%, your price increase was probably successful.
How do you analyze purchasing figures for better prices? (step by step)
Collect exact purchasing costs
Get your supplier invoices from the last month. Work out what each ingredient costs per portion, including garnishes and sauces. Add everything together for your complete dish.
Calculate food cost percentage
Divide the ingredient costs by your selling price excluding VAT and multiply by 100. Dishes above 35% food cost are candidates for price increases.
Test price adjustments carefully
Start with your 2-3 most popular dishes with high food cost. Raise the price by €2-3 and monitor sales figures for 4 weeks.
✨ Pro tip
Check your 5 best-selling dishes for food cost every month. If those are in good shape, you have 80% of your profitability under control.
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 food cost percentage is acceptable for restaurants?
A typical food cost is between 28% and 35%. Below 28% often means your prices are too high, above 35% you're probably losing money.
How often should I check my purchasing figures?
At least once a month, but with major suppliers who adjust prices regularly, preferably every two weeks. This prevents you from working with outdated figures for too long.
What if customers complain about price increases?
Explain that you want to maintain quality despite rising purchasing costs. Focus on the value you offer: fresh ingredients, craftsmanship, and service.
Can I raise all prices at once?
Not recommended. Raise a maximum of 3-4 dishes at a time and wait 6-8 weeks before continuing. This prevents guests from staying away.
Should I account for seasons when pricing?
Yes, especially for vegetables and fish. Create seasonal menus with adjusted prices, or choose dishes with stable purchasing costs as your menu foundation.
📚 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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