"When things calm down, I'll take a good look at my numbers." Every month, we hear this from restaurant owners who've been saying it for years. That quiet period never arrives, and your profit keeps bleeding out while you're too busy to notice.
The trap of "later"
Your business is humming. Tables are full, guests are smiling, kitchen's cranking. So why mess with numbers? Everything's running smoothly, right?
But here's what's actually happening behind the scenes:
- Your supplier quietly bumps prices by 8%
- Your chef gives slightly bigger portions ("guests love it")
- Your menu prices haven't budged in over a year
- Nobody actually knows what each dish costs to make
The outcome? You're grinding harder for smaller profits, completely unaware.
💡 Example:
Restaurant De Herberg pulls in €40,000 monthly. Owner Mark has been promising himself for two years to "check his numbers soon."
- Supplier raised beef from €28 to €32/kg
- Chef serves 220 grams of steak instead of 200 grams
- Menu price for steak: still €28.50
Loss per steak: €1.76. At 120 steaks monthly = €2,112 less profit annually.
Why "quiet" never arrives
The hospitality world doesn't do quiet moments for paperwork. There's always something demanding attention:
- Winter: "Sales are down, I need to focus on bringing in customers"
- Spring: "Terrace season prep, new menu rollout"
- Summer: "Slammed every night - no time for spreadsheets"
- Fall: "Training new staff, dealing with turnover"
And your food cost creeps from 30% to 35% to 38%. You won't notice until it's too late.
⚠️ Watch out:
A food cost that's 5 points higher than it should be costs you €15,000 annually in profit at €300,000 yearly sales.
The real price of procrastination
Delaying your number-crunching costs way more than you realize. Here's what you're actually paying:
1. Sneaky price hikes
Suppliers bump prices 2-3 times yearly. If you don't update your menu, you're eating the difference.
2. Portion creep
Without tracking, portions gradually expand. "Happy customers" sounds great, but it's killing your margins.
3. Misguided priorities
You push dishes that are crowd-pleasers but profit-killers. Without data, you can't tell the difference. It's the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss - wondering where all that busy-night revenue actually went.
💡 Example:
Café De Kroeg's spare ribs are flying out the door. Owner thinks: "These are winners, let's promote them harder."
- Selling price: €19.50 incl. VAT (€17.89 excl.)
- Actual ingredient costs: €7.80
- Food cost: 43.6%
Every extra rib plate he sells actually shrinks his profit.
The perfect moment is a myth
Reality check? There's no perfect moment to tackle your numbers. But there are smart ways to make it happen:
Start small
Focus on your 5 top sellers. Calculate their food costs. Takes 30 minutes, gives you 80% of the insight you need.
Use proper tools
Ditch Excel. Get a system that does the heavy lifting for you, like tools such as KitchenNmbrs. Turns hours of monthly work into 5 minutes weekly.
Build the habit
Review last week's food cost every Monday morning. Make it as routine as counting the till and posting the schedule.
What happens if you start today?
Imagine you dive into your numbers right now. Here's your timeline:
- Week 1: You spot which dishes are bleeding money
- Week 2: You tweak 2-3 prices
- Week 3: You identify your most expensive supplier
- Month 1: You've got food cost control locked down
The payoff? Better margins without breaking a sweat.
💡 Example:
Restaurant Villa Rosa started tracking in January. Three months later:
- Food cost dropped from 36% to 31%
- 3 money-losing dishes cut from menu
- 2 new, profitable dishes launched
Monthly profit boost: €1,800
Your choice is crystal clear
You've got two paths:
Path 1: Keep waiting
Cross your fingers that things magically improve. Risk: hemorrhaging even more profit.
Path 2: Act now
Tackle your numbers despite the chaos. Within 30 days you'll control your margins.
The decision seems obvious. But why do so few owners actually do it?
How do you tackle your numbers? (step by step)
Start with your top 5 dishes
Take your 5 best-selling dishes. Add up all ingredient costs per portion. Divide this by your selling price excl. VAT and multiply by 100 for the food cost percentage.
Check your supplier invoices
Compare your current purchase prices with those from 6 months ago. Update all prices that have increased in your cost calculation.
Adjust menu prices where needed
Dishes with food cost above 35% are usually unprofitable. Raise the price or reduce the portion until you're below 33%.
✨ Pro tip
Most owners tell themselves they'll tackle numbers "next month" for literally years running. But here's what actually works: block out 90 minutes this Friday afternoon and just start with your 3 biggest sellers.
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 long does it take to get control of my numbers?
For your 5 biggest sellers: about 2 hours. Your complete menu: maybe a full day. But you'll spot your biggest profit leaks after just those first 5 dishes.
What if I don't have time to figure this out?
Then you're probably wasting more time making bad decisions based on guesswork. Two hours invested now can save you hundreds monthly.
Can't I just estimate my food cost?
Estimates are almost always too rosy. Most owners guess their food cost 5-8 percentage points lower than the brutal reality.
Do I have to tackle all dishes at once?
Not at all - start with your volume leaders. They pack the biggest punch for your bottom line. Handle the rest when you can breathe.
⚠️ EU Regulation 1169/2011 — Allergen Information — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/oj
The allergen information on this page is based on EU Regulation 1169/2011. Recipes and ingredients may vary by supplier. Always verify current allergen information with your supplier and communicate this correctly to your guests. KitchenNmbrs is not liable for allergic reactions.
In the UK, the FSA enforces allergen regulations under the Food Information Regulations 2014.
📚 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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