Many restaurant owners think all their system data is gospel truth - that's a costly mistake. Your kitchen generates two types of numbers: rock-solid facts and educated guesses that need verification. Understanding this difference stops you from building your pricing strategy on quicksand.
Fixed figures: what you can build on
Some figures in your system are bulletproof because they're based on actual transactions:
- Selling prices: What's on your menu
- Purchase invoices: What your supplier actually charged
- Cash sales: What was actually sold
- Number of covers: Actual number of guests
💡 Example of fixed figures:
Yesterday you sold:
- 25x steak at €32.00 = €800
- 18x salmon at €28.00 = €504
- Total sales: €1.304
These numbers are concrete. They come from your register.
Raw figures: what you still need to check
Other figures are calculations or estimates that can stray from reality:
- Food cost percentages: Based on theoretical recipes
- Ingredient consumption: What should be used according to recipes
- Inventory values: Theoretical value vs. actual count
- Portion weights: What's in the system vs. what your chef actually serves
⚠️ Watch out:
Your system calculates 200 grams of steak per portion. But your chef serves 250 grams. Then your food cost doesn't match reality.
How to recognize raw data
You'll spot raw figures by these warning signs:
- Big differences: Theoretical food cost 30%, but you're not making money
- Inconsistency: Different results every day for the same dish
- Illogical results: Inventory that doesn't match sales and purchases
- No verification: Figures that nobody has ever checked
💡 Example of recognizing raw data:
Your system says:
- Food cost steak: 28%
- Expected profit: €8 per portion
- Sold: 25 portions = €200 profit
But your daily register shows little profit. Then something's wrong with your recipe data.
From raw to reliable
After managing kitchen operations for nearly a decade, I've learned you make raw data reliable by checking and adjusting:
- Weigh portions: Check if recipe weights match reality
- Update prices: Enter supplier invoices instead of guessing
- Count inventory: Monthly actual count vs. system
- Measure trim loss: How much is left over from a whole fish?
Which figures to tackle first?
Start with the figures that have the biggest impact:
💡 Priority order:
- 1. Best-sellers: Your 5 most sold dishes
- 2. Expensive ingredients: Meat, fish, specialty products
- 3. Large volumes: What you buy a lot of
- 4. Rest: Other dishes and ingredients
Focus first on what makes the biggest difference. If your top 5 dishes are accurate, you've solved 80% of your problem.
How do you make raw figures reliable? (step by step)
Identify your raw figures
Make a list of all figures in your system that you've never checked. Think of portion weights, purchase prices from last month, and food cost percentages you've estimated.
Check your top 5 dishes
Take your 5 best-selling dishes. Weigh the portions, check the ingredient prices against your latest invoices, and calculate the actual food cost. Compare this with what your system says.
Update systematically
Adjust the differences you found in your system. Work from most to least sold dish. Mark which figures you've checked, so your team knows what's reliable.
✨ Pro tip
Create a verification schedule: check your top 3 dishes every 2 weeks for portion accuracy. Mark verified items with today's date so your team knows which numbers are solid and which are still theoretical.
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 if my team serves different portion sizes than what's in the system?
Then you have a training problem, not a numbers problem. Train your team on consistency, or adjust your recipes to match what they actually serve. Don't let portion creep kill your margins.
How do I handle seasonal price fluctuations for raw ingredients?
Update your ingredient costs monthly during peak season changes (like seafood prices). Set alerts in your system when supplier prices shift more than 15% from your baseline. This prevents your food costs from becoming fantasy numbers.
Can I trust my system once I've verified everything?
Yes, but only for the figures you've actually checked and marked as verified. Raw data has a way of creeping back in through new recipes, staff changes, and supplier switches.
📚 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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