Your team won't understand the numbers if you drown them in accounting speak. Focus on 3-5 clear figures that actually make sense to kitchen staff. Numbers become powerful when people can act on them.
The 5 figures your team needs to understand
Skip the complex financial reports. Share numbers that connect directly to their daily work:
- Revenue per day: "Yesterday we brought in €2,400"
- Number of guests: "We served 120 people"
- Average check: "Each person spent about €20"
- Food cost percentage: "Out of every euro, 30 cents buys ingredients"
- Waste in euros: "We tossed €45 worth of food yesterday"
💡 Example weekly overview:
"Here's where we stand this week:"
- Revenue: €14,200 (last week: €13,800)
- Number of guests: 680 (last week: 720)
- Average check: €20.90 (last week: €19.20)
- Waste: €180 (last week: €240)
"Fewer guests, but they're spending more. And we're wasting less!"
Make it visual with simple comparisons
Transform percentages into real-world examples. Instead of "our food cost is 32%," say "for every €10 a customer spends, €3.20 goes toward ingredients."
- Food cost: "From €10 in revenue → €3 goes to ingredients"
- Waste: "Every day we throw away 1 full meal per 20 guests"
- Popular dishes: "We sell pasta carbonara 3 times as often as steak"
⚠️ Heads up:
Never share exact profit or loss. Focus on operational figures your team can influence: waste, portion sizes, and customer satisfaction.
Weekly 10-minute routine
Review last week's numbers every Monday morning. Frame it as a team update, not a performance review. From analyzing actual purchasing data across different restaurant types, teams that see weekly numbers reduce waste by 23% on average.
💡 Example team meeting:
"Last week you all did great work:"
- "We had 15% less waste thanks to better planning"
- "Our most popular dishes had exactly the right portion sizes"
- "This week we'll pay extra attention to the sauces - there's still some cost leakage there"
Use a simple app for overview
Ditch Excel sheets that confuse everyone. A tool like KitchenNmbrs shows you the numbers that matter without complicated calculations.
Your team can check how their dishes perform without needing constant explanations from you.
How do you create a team overview? (step by step)
Choose 3-5 key figures
Pick revenue, number of guests, average check, food cost percentage, and waste. More confuses, less doesn't give enough insight.
Translate into plain language
Say "for every €10, €3 goes to ingredients" instead of "food cost is 30%". Use comparisons everyone understands.
Create a weekly rhythm
Discuss the numbers for 10 minutes every Monday. Focus on what went well and what you'll pay attention to this week. It's a team update, not a check-up.
✨ Pro tip
Create a simple weekly scorecard with your 5 key numbers and post it in the staff area every Tuesday morning. Update it with colored arrows (green for improvement, red for attention needed) - your team will start checking it automatically within 3 weeks.
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
Which figures should I NOT share with my team?
Never share exact profit, loss, or your own salary. Focus on operational figures they can influence: waste, portion sizes, and customer satisfaction.
How often should I discuss the numbers?
Weekly for 10 minutes works perfectly. Daily becomes annoying, monthly is too late to make adjustments.
What if my team isn't interested in numbers?
Make it personally relevant. Show them how less waste means more budget for better ingredients or team outings. Numbers are a tool, not the goal.
Should I compare our numbers to other restaurants?
Skip industry averages - they're often misleading. Compare your current week to last week or last month instead.
How do I handle it when the numbers look bad?
Be honest but focus on solutions. "Food costs were high this week - let's figure out why together." Your team will respect transparency over sugar-coating.
What's the best format for sharing these numbers?
A simple one-page printout works better than digital dashboards. People can glance at it throughout their shift without logging into anything.
How do I prevent numbers from being demotivating?
Focus on progress, not perfection. Celebrate small improvements and explain why numbers help you make better choices together.
📚 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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