Food cost is the most important indicator of a restaurant's profitability. A food cost of 35% when it should be at 28-30% means that for every €100,000 in sales you lose between €5,000 and €7,000 per month in poorly managed raw materials. The problem is not buying expensive — it's not knowing exactly how much each dish you serve costs.
- You don't have updated cost breakdowns for each dish on the menu
- Purchasing by habit, not by technical sheet or calculated order
- The cold storage inventory never matches what you should have
- Your suppliers haven't reviewed your prices in over 6 months
- You don't know which are the 5 most profitable dishes and the 5 least profitable on your menu
- Waste exceeds 8% and you don't measure it weekly
If you recognize 2 or more of these situations, your restaurant needs a professional diagnosis.
