Ever wondered why your food costs keep creeping up despite stable supplier prices? An extra 10 grams of meat per plate each month seems harmless, but costs an average restaurant thousands of euros annually. This silent profit thief strikes when no one's measuring.
The silent portion inflation
It starts innocently. Your chef gives a slightly more generous portion because the guest will be so happy. The next day he does it again. After a month this becomes the new standard. Nobody measures, nobody notices.
Until you look at your numbers at the end of the year and think: where did my profit go?
💡 Example: The growing steak
Restaurant De Smaak sells steak for €32.00. Originally 200 grams of meat at €24/kg.
- January: 200 grams = €4.80 meat per portion
- June: unnoticed growth to 230 grams = €5.52 per portion
- December: now 250 grams = €6.00 per portion
Extra cost per portion: €1.20
Calculating the financial impact
That €1.20 extra per portion seems small. But add it up:
- 50 steaks per week
- 50 weeks per year (2 weeks closed)
- Total: 2,500 steaks per year
Extra costs per year: €1.20 × 2,500 = €3,000
And this is just one dish. If this happens with your 5 most popular dishes, you're losing €10,000+ per year to portion inflation.
⚠️ Note:
Portion inflation often happens with expensive ingredients like meat, fish, and cheese. Exactly where every gram counts for your margin.
Why does this happen so often?
Portion inflation arises from different causes - the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss:
- No standard portion sizes: "A generous portion" means something different to everyone
- No scale in the kitchen: Everything by feel, nothing measured
- Changing staff: New employees take the biggest portion as the norm
- No control: Nobody checks if portions match the recipe
💡 Example: The cheese spiral
Pizzeria Mario uses Parmesan cheese on pasta dishes:
- Recipe: 15 grams per portion (€0.75 at €50/kg)
- Reality: chef sprinkles generously, averaging 25 grams
- Extra cost per portion: €0.50
- At 200 pastas per week: €5,200 per year extra
Impact on food cost: from 28% to 32%
The domino effects
Portion inflation causes more problems than just higher costs:
- Food cost rises unnoticed: From 30% to 35% without knowing why
- Inventory doesn't match: You run through ingredients faster than expected
- Inconsistent quality: Every cook gives different portions
- Wrong purchasing: You order too little because you calculate based on smaller portions
How to prevent this
The solution is to work systematically:
- Fixed portion sizes: 200 grams means 200 grams, not "roughly 200"
- Scale at every workstation: Measure, don't guess
- Weekly checks: Spot-check portions by weight
- Staff training: Explain why portions matter
💡 Example: Simple control
Every Monday morning, owner Linda weighs 5 random portions:
- Steak: recipe 200g, actual average 205g ✓
- Salmon: recipe 180g, actual average 195g ⚠️
- Pasta: recipe 120g, actual average 140g ❌
Result: pasta portion back to 120g = €2,400 savings per year
Digital tracking vs. manual
You can organize portion control in different ways:
Manual (paper/Excel):
- Advantage: cheap, simple
- Disadvantage: time-consuming, easy to forget
Digital (apps like KitchenNmbrs):
- Advantage: quick checks, automatic impact calculation
- Disadvantage: monthly costs
For restaurants with more than 50 covers per day, digital is usually worthwhile. The time savings and better control pay for themselves quickly.
How do you prevent portion inflation? (step by step)
Measure your current portions
Weigh all portions of your 5 best-selling dishes for a week. Note the difference from your recipe. This gives you insight into where things are going wrong now.
Calculate the financial impact
Add up per dish how much extra you're spending per portion. Multiply by number of portions per year. This shows you where to prioritize.
Set fixed standards
Determine exact portion sizes per dish. Ensure scales at every workstation. Train your team on why this matters for profitability.
Organize weekly checks
Spot-check 3-5 portions of different dishes each week by weight. Note deviations and discuss with your team. Consistency is key.
✨ Pro tip
Weigh your 3 most expensive dishes every Monday for 4 weeks straight. Even a 15-gram increase per portion can cost you €4,000 annually without anyone noticing.
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 much can a portion deviate from the recipe?
For expensive ingredients like meat and fish: maximum 5%. For cheaper ingredients like vegetables: maximum 10%. Larger deviations cost too much money.
What if my chef says guests expect bigger portions?
Then officially increase the portion size and the price. But do this consciously, not unnoticed. First calculate what the impact is on your food cost and margin.
Can I see portion inflation in my food cost percentage?
Yes, if your food cost slowly rises without supplier price increases, portion inflation is a common cause. Then first check your best-selling dishes.
📚 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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