New staff often don't understand why numbers matter in the kitchen. They think good cooking is enough, but without control over food cost and portions you lose money on every plate. Numbers are the foundation of a profitable kitchen.
Why numbers are crucial in the kitchen
Many chefs think numbers are something for the admin team. That's an expensive misconception. Every decision in the kitchen has financial consequences.
💡 Example:
Your chef adds an extra 20 grams of meat per portion every day because "it looks better":
- Extra meat per portion: 20 grams × €32/kg = €0.64
- At 100 portions per day: €64 extra costs
- Per week (6 days): €384
- Per year: €19,968 loss
Almost €20,000 per year just from plating "prettier"!
The basics: food cost percentage
Start with the most important number: food cost percentage. This is the percentage of your selling price that goes to ingredients.
Formula: (Ingredient costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
💡 Example for your team:
Pasta carbonara sells for €18.50 (incl. 9% VAT):
- Selling price excl. VAT: €18.50 / 1.09 = €16.97
- Ingredient costs: €5.10
- Food cost: (€5.10 / €16.97) × 100 = 30.1%
That means: of every euro we earn, 30 cents goes to ingredients.
Explain portion sizes in money
Staff understand portion sizes better if you explain it in euros instead of grams.
- 200 grams steak = €6.40 in meat
- 250 grams steak = €8.00 in meat
- Difference: €1.60 per plate
⚠️ Watch out:
Never say "save on ingredients". That sounds like you want to lower quality. Say: "stick to the recipe, then every plate will be perfect".
Make waste visible
Waste feels abstract. Make it concrete by converting it to money. After managing kitchen operations for nearly a decade, I've found that showing the actual cost of waste hits home faster than any lecture.
💡 Example of waste:
Yesterday we threw away:
- 1 kg potatoes: €2.50
- 500 grams salmon: €16.00
- Various vegetables: €8.50
Total: €27.00 in the trash
Use a daily check
Make numbers part of your daily routine. Just like you check the cooler temperature, you also check the key numbers.
- How many covers do we expect today?
- What are our 3 most popular dishes?
- What's the food cost on those dishes?
- What went to waste yesterday?
Involve your team in cost awareness
Let your team look at the numbers. Being secretive doesn't work. If they understand what dishes cost, they'll make better decisions.
💡 Practical tip:
Post a note in the kitchen with the cost price of your 5 most popular dishes. Then everyone knows what's at stake.
Use digital tools
Manual calculations take time and lead to errors. An app like KitchenNmbrs automatically calculates your food cost per dish. Then you can show your team directly what each dish costs.
⚠️ Watch out:
Start small. Choose 3 dishes and explain those well. Once your team understands those, expand to the rest of the menu.
How do you explain numbers to your team? (step by step)
Choose 3 popular dishes
Start with your 3 best-selling dishes. Calculate the exact ingredient costs and food cost percentage. Write this on a note that everyone can see.
Explain the food cost formula
Show how you get from ingredient costs to food cost percentage. Use a concrete example: ingredients cost €8, selling price €25 excl. VAT = 32% food cost.
Make waste visible in euros
Add up every day what gets thrown away and convert it to money. Show the team: "Yesterday €23 in the trash". That makes more of an impression than "some vegetables went bad".
Build it into the daily routine
Make numbers part of the briefing. Discuss every day: how many covers do we expect, what are the food costs of our top dishes, what went to waste yesterday?
✨ Pro tip
Create a laminated card showing your 3 highest-volume dishes with their exact food cost percentages for each prep station. Update these numbers every 2 weeks so staff see the direct impact of ingredient price changes.
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 discuss food cost with my team?
Start with weekly, then monthly once it becomes routine. With new staff: repeat the basics every day for the first week.
What if my team says numbers aren't their job?
Explain that every decision in the kitchen costs or makes money. Their portion size determines whether you make a profit. That definitely makes it their job.
Should I share all recipes and cost prices with my staff?
Share the food cost percentages, not the exact purchase prices. They don't need to know what you pay, but they should know roughly what each dish costs.
How do I prevent staff from focusing too much on saving?
Emphasize consistency, not savings. It's about following recipes, not cooking cheaper. Quality comes first.
What if new staff find the numbers too complicated?
Start with one simple number: the food cost percentage of the dish they make most often. Once they understand that, gradually expand.
How do I handle pushback from experienced cooks who resist tracking?
Show them the waste numbers from last week in euros. Most veteran cooks change their tune once they see €150 worth of food hitting the bin. Experience means nothing if it's costing money.
📚 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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