The escandallo (food cost calculation) is the most important financial management tool for a restaurant. It is the exact calculation of the raw material cost for each dish, including real gram weights, updated supplier prices, and waste. Without food cost calculations, you're cooking blind: you don't know how much each dish costs you, you don't know which ones make money and which ones lose money, and you can't set selling prices with criteria.
- You don't know the real cost of any dish on your menu — you only have an approximate idea
- You set selling prices based on the competition, not your actual costs
- The quantities of each dish vary depending on who cooks that day
- You have never weighed the ingredients of your recipes in the real kitchen (not just in theory)
- You don't update supplier prices in your product sheets — if you even have product sheets
- When an ingredient goes up in price, you don't know how much it affects your margin
If you recognize 2 or more of these situations, your restaurant needs a professional diagnosis.
