Seasonal reports show you which dishes perform well or poorly each season. Many restaurants sell different dishes in winter than in summer, but don't track which ones are actually profitable. With a simple seasonal report, you'll immediately see which dishes you should promote more and which you can adjust or remove.
Why seasonal reports matter
Your menu changes with the seasons. Soups in winter, salads in summer. But which dishes generate the most revenue per season? And which ones actually cost you money?
💡 Example:
Restaurant The Four Seasons is doing well, but owner Mark doesn't know which dishes make a profit each season:
- Summer: Caesar salad sells 120x, food cost 28%
- Summer: Gazpacho sells 45x, food cost 42%
- Winter: Pea soup sells 95x, food cost 25%
- Winter: Beef stew sells 78x, food cost 38%
Conclusion: Caesar and pea soup are top performers, gazpacho and beef stew are not.
What you measure per season
A good seasonal report contains four important data points per dish:
- Number sold: How many portions went out the door?
- Food cost percentage: What percentage of the price goes to ingredients?
- Total profit: Number sold × profit per portion
- Popularity: Percentage of total sales
⚠️ Note:
Always measure over a full season (3 months). One month can be misleading due to holiday periods or special events.
Divide your dishes into four groups
Just like menu engineering, you categorize your dishes into four categories:
- Stars: Popular + profitable (food cost below 32%)
- Workhorses: Popular + less profitable (food cost above 32%)
- Puzzles: Not popular + profitable
- Dogs: Not popular + not profitable
💡 Example calculation:
Gazpacho in summer:
- Sold: 45 portions (8% of total sales = not popular)
- Selling price: €9.50 excl. VAT
- Ingredient costs: €4.00
- Food cost: 42% (too high)
Category: Dog (remove it or make major changes)
Seasonal differences in ingredient prices
Ingredient prices fluctuate by season. Tomatoes are cheaper in summer, winter vegetables are more expensive in spring. Track this in your report.
- Summer: Fresh vegetables cheaper, fish often more expensive
- Fall: Lots of seasonal vegetables, game available
- Winter: Lots of imported vegetables, warmer dishes
- Spring: First new harvest, often expensive transition period
Action per dish category
Based on your seasonal report, you can take concrete action:
- Stars: Promote more, feature prominently on menu
- Workhorses: Lower cost or raise price
- Puzzles: Give more visibility, explain better
- Dogs: Remove or completely reformulate
💡 Real-world example:
Restaurant The Season made three changes after their report:
- Gazpacho removed (dog)
- Caesar salad featured more prominently on menu (star)
- Beef stew: smaller portion, same price (workhorse)
Result: 8% more profit on summer dishes.
Digital vs. manual tracking
You can create seasonal reports manually in Excel, but it takes a lot of time. With a system like KitchenNmbrs, you automatically see which dishes perform best per period, including food cost and profitability.
The advantage of digital reporting: you see trends immediately and can adjust faster if a dish suddenly starts underperforming.
How do you create a seasonal report? (step by step)
Collect sales figures per dish
Pull from your POS system how much of each dish you sold over the past 3 months. Also note the selling price per dish.
Calculate food cost per dish
Add up all ingredient costs per portion and divide by the selling price excl. VAT. Multiply by 100 to get the percentage.
Determine popularity and profitability
Calculate what percentage of your total sales each dish represents. Dishes above 10% are popular, below 32% food cost is profitable.
Divide dishes into four categories
Create a matrix: popular/not popular vs. profitable/not profitable. This gives you stars, workhorses, puzzles, and dogs.
Compare with last season
See which dishes perform better or worse than the same season last year. Pay attention to ingredient price changes.
✨ Pro tip
Check your top 3 seasonal dishes monthly for food cost. Ingredient prices change faster than you think, especially with seasonal products.
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 often should I create a seasonal report?
Create a full report every 3 months and check your top performers monthly. This prevents poor dishes from staying on the menu too long.
What if a dish was only on the menu for 2 months?
Calculate forward to a full season. Sold 30 portions in 2 months? You'd probably sell 45 portions in 3 months.
Should I compare seasonal dishes with fixed menu items?
No, compare seasonal dishes only with each other. A winter soup doesn't need to compete with your signature dish that runs year-round.
At what food cost percentage is a dish not profitable?
Above 35% food cost it becomes difficult to make a profit. Between 32-35% is possible, but keep a close eye on it.
What if my best seasonal dish has a high food cost?
Try to lower the cost first by finding different suppliers or reducing portion sizes. If that doesn't work, carefully raise the price.
⚠️ EU Regulation 1169/2011 — Allergen Information — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/oj
The allergen information on this page is based on EU Regulation 1169/2011. Recipes and ingredients may vary by supplier. Always verify current allergen information with your supplier and communicate this correctly to your guests. KitchenNmbrs is not liable for allergic reactions.
In the UK, the FSA enforces allergen regulations under the Food Information Regulations 2014.
📚 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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