Think of dish transparency like an open kitchen – your team can see every move, understand every decision. A case study of one dish shows your team exactly where profit is made or lost. By making every step from purchasing to sales transparent, everyone understands why numbers matter.
Choose the right dish for your case study
Not every dish works as a case study. You want something your team knows, makes regularly, and contains different types of costs.
- Pick your most popular dish (made frequently)
- Preferably with meat or fish (clear main ingredient cost)
- With sides and sauce (multiple components)
- Not too simple (fries) or too complex (7-course menu)
💡 Example:
Steak with fries and pepper sauce - perfect for a case study:
- Clear main ingredient: steak
- Sides: fries, vegetables
- Sauce: cream, pepper, stock
- Your team makes this daily
Gather all costs transparently
Make a list of EVERYTHING that goes on the plate. Literally everything. Even the drop of olive oil, the sprig of parsley, the knob of butter on the steak.
- Main ingredient with exact grams
- All sides and vegetables
- Sauces (including basics like cream, butter)
- Herbs and spices
- Garnish and finishing touches
💡 Example steak case study:
- Steak 220g: €7.20
- Fries 200g: €0.40
- Green beans 80g: €0.35
- Pepper sauce 50ml: €0.85
- Butter 10g: €0.12
- Parsley: €0.03
Total food cost: €8.95
Calculate the actual food cost
Now comes the important part: let your team watch while you calculate the food cost. Explain every step.
Food cost formula: Sum of all ingredients + trimming loss
⚠️ Note:
Don't forget trimming loss! Steak often has 10-15% loss from trimming fat and sinew.
Include trimming loss in your food cost. If you serve 220g of steak but need to buy 250g due to loss, calculate with 250g.
Show the food cost and selling price
Now it gets exciting for your team. What do we actually earn from this dish?
Food cost % = (Food cost / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
💡 Example calculation:
Steak on menu: €32.00 (incl. 9% VAT)
- Selling price excl. VAT: €32.00 ÷ 1.09 = €29.36
- Food cost of ingredients: €8.95
- Food cost: (€8.95 ÷ €29.36) × 100 = 30.5%
Profit per plate: €20.41
Make the impact visible
Here's where your case study becomes powerful. Show what small changes mean for profit. Based on real restaurant P&L data, a 2% increase in food cost can reduce annual profit by €15,000-20,000.
- What if we give 20g more steak?
- What if the supplier becomes 10% more expensive?
- What if we make the fries portion smaller?
💡 Impact example:
20g extra steak per portion:
- Extra cost: €0.65 per plate
- At 50 steaks per week: €32.50
- Per year: €1,690 less profit
Involve your team in the discussion
The case study only becomes truly valuable when your team thinks along. Ask questions and let them draw their own conclusions.
- "What do you think, is 30.5% food cost good?"
- "Which ingredients cost the most?"
- "Where can we save without losing quality?"
- "What happens if we raise the price to €34?"
⚠️ Note:
Don't make it a classroom lesson. Keep it conversational and ask about their kitchen experiences.
Repeat with other dishes
Once your team understands the first case study, pick a second dish. Preferably one with a completely different cost structure.
- After meat: try fish (different trimming loss)
- After main course: try appetizer (different portions)
- After expensive: try budget dish (different margins)
This way your team learns that each dish has its own story, and that gut feeling alone isn't enough to make profitable decisions.
How do you create a dish case study? (step by step)
Choose your most popular dish
Pick a dish your team makes daily and that has different types of costs. Preferably with meat or fish as the main ingredient and multiple components like sides and sauce.
List all ingredients with grams and prices
Write down literally everything that goes on the plate, including herbs, oil, and garnish. Weigh the exact quantities and look up the purchase prices from your supplier.
Calculate food cost and food cost percentage
Add up all ingredient costs and divide by your selling price excl. VAT. Multiply by 100 for the percentage. Let your team watch during the calculation.
Show the impact of small changes
Calculate what 10g extra meat or a 5% price increase means on an annual basis. This makes abstract thinking concrete and shows why precision matters.
Discuss with team and draw conclusions
Ask what they think of the numbers and where they see opportunities. Let them figure out where the profit is and which choices make sense for your business.
✨ Pro tip
Track one signature dish for exactly 30 days – every ingredient purchase, every portion served, every variation made. Document the real numbers, not the theoretical recipe costs.
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 dish is ideal for a first case study?
Choose your best-selling main course with meat or fish. It needs to be complex enough to be interesting, but not so complicated that your team loses track.
Do I really need to include all herbs and oil in the food cost?
Yes, absolutely. A teaspoon of olive oil seems like nothing, but at 1,000 portions per month it adds up. Precision in small things teaches your team that details matter.
How often should I update the case study numbers?
Check prices every 3 months or when your supplier raises their rates. Show your team how external price increases affect your margins and why menu adjustments might be necessary.
What if my team finds the numbers boring?
Make it personal: show how much profit is made per day, week, and month. Link it to things they understand, like their own salary or new kitchen equipment.
Can I do this for drinks and cocktails too?
Absolutely! For drinks it's called 'pour cost' instead of food cost. Note that alcoholic drinks have 21% VAT, not 9% like food.
What's the biggest mistake restaurants make with case studies?
They do it once and forget about it. Your team needs regular reminders and updates. Do a mini case study monthly to keep cost awareness sharp.
📚 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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