Example result

See a full result before you start

Three made-up restaurants, each scored by the same model as the free check. Pick one to see the free result it gets in 45 seconds, then the full $9.99 report, as an owner gets them.

Examples, not real businesses. No real owner's answers or numbers are shown here.

Step 1 · Free, about 45 seconds

The free result

What the free check shows right after the 12 answers. Every figure comes from the scoring model and the answers.

Grade C · Needs attention

A noticeable share of your sales looks to be lost to avoidable costs.

8 of the 12 answers need attention. The grade covers costs; the answers about sales don't change it.

You

ABCDF

Less money lostMore money lost

Estimated profit leak

$1,730–$3,820 a month

or $20,760–$45,840 a year

Estimated from the answers and the sales range, not from the books.

Biggest of 4 leaks: Shifts don't flex with traffic, about $720–$1,550 a month.

Day 1 of the plan

Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it

The 10 scored answers

Tap one to see why it was scored that way.

Empty seats Monday to ThursdayOpportunity$900–$2,250/mo
Opportunity. Rent, staff and utilities cost the same on a quiet Tuesday. Weekend nights are carrying the whole week.
Shifts don't flex with trafficLeak$720–$1,550/mo
Leak. Paying a full crew through slow hours is a common labor leak. Every idle hour costs the same as a busy one.
Recipes only costed when the menu changesLeak$540–$1,150/mo
Leak. Ingredient costs keep rising after launch while menu prices stay put, so your best sellers earn less every month.
Only big losses get loggedLeak$270–$720/mo
Leak. Daily trim, over-prep and plate waste add up to more than the occasional spoiled case, and none of it is counted.
Guest emails collected but unusedWatch$360–$720/mo
Watch. A list you never email is a slow-night tool left in the drawer.
Rating just below 4.5 starsWatch$270–$720/mo
Watch. Diners can filter search results by star rating, so a few tenths of a star can decide whether you show up.
Bar shrink caught only after the factLeak$200–$400/mo
Leak. Spot checks find missing product only once it's gone. Over-pours and comps go unrecorded in between.
Prime cost isn't tracked weeklyWatch
Watch. Without a weekly prime cost number, cost creep shows up in the P&L months later, after the cash is gone. Every leak in this report grows while it goes unmeasured.
Occupancy cost in the normal rangeHealthy
Healthy. Rent and utilities are within the 7–12% range for your format.
No delivery commissionsHealthy
Healthy. All orders come through your own channels, so no commission comes off the top.

By area

Grade C: Prime costNot tracked, so graded as 65% or more · estimated ~65% vs a 65% target
Grade D: Kitchen & food cost3 leaks · $1,010–$2,270 a month
Grade C: Labor & overhead1 leak · $720–$1,550 a month
Guests & revenue (not graded)$1,530–$3,690 a month in sales you could add

Overall C because all leaks together come to 3.1% of sales and prime cost isn't tracked, so the grade counts it as 65% or more, the highest answer; Kitchen & food cost holds 59% of the leaks.

What changes if…

Example restaurant's answer on labor flexing: “Everyone works their scheduled shift anyway”

What if it were: “We cut staff based on sales per labor hour”?

Grade: C · Needs attention
Estimated loss to avoidable costs: $1,730–$3,820 a month

With the change: grade C, $1,010–$2,270 a month. Scored by the same model as the free check.

Step 2 · $9.99, paid once

The full report

The whole report for these answers, as a buyer gets it. Our AI wrote its explanations for these answers the same way it does for a paid report, checked by the same rules; the figures, the plan and the roadmap come from fixed formulas.

Profit diagnostic

Example restaurant

Prepared October 27, 2026Example restaurant, not a real businessFull service / casual dining

Grade C · Needs attention

Keeping staff on clock during slow hours costs your restaurant the most.

Keeping staff on the clock when sales drop can quickly drain your operating cash. Waiting for menu updates to review recipe costs may quietly erode dish margins.

By area

Grade C: Prime costNot tracked, so graded as 65% or more · estimated ~65% vs a 65% target
Grade D: Kitchen & food cost3 leaks · $1,010–$2,270 a month
Grade C: Labor & overhead1 leak · $720–$1,550 a month
Guests & revenue (not graded)$1,530–$3,690 a month in sales you could add

Overall C because all leaks together come to 3.1% of sales and prime cost isn't tracked, so the grade counts it as 65% or more, the highest answer; Kitchen & food cost holds 59% of the leaks.

Start here today

Day 1: Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it

First step: From your POS and time clock, pull four weeks of sales and staff hours by hour, and mark the hours with the most staff for the sales.

Who: GM or shift managerTime: 1 hour to set up, 2 minutes a shift

Goes after “Shifts don't flex with traffic”, which costs you about $25–$50 a day.

See your 72-hour action plan

Recoverable profit leak

$1,730–$3,820

Per month · $20,760–$45,840 a year

About $60–$125 a day

Prime cost

~65%

Target ≤ 65% · estimated

Revenue upside

$1,530–$3,690

Per month · from seats, guests and rating

Where the money is going

Estimated per month, biggest first. Solid bar: low estimate. Light bar: high estimate.

Profit leaks

Shifts don't flex with traffic
$720–$1,550 / month
Labor & overhead
Fix: Day 1: Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it
Paying a full crew through slow hours is a common labor leak. Every idle hour costs the same as a busy one.
Recipes only costed when the menu changes
$540–$1,150 / month
Kitchen & food cost
Fix: Day 2: Re-cost your best sellers at today's prices
Ingredient costs keep rising after launch while menu prices stay put, so your best sellers earn less every month.
Only big losses get logged
$270–$720 / month
Kitchen & food cost
Fix: Week 2: Log the small daily losses, not just spoiled cases
Daily trim, over-prep and plate waste add up to more than the occasional spoiled case, and none of it is counted.
Bar shrink caught only after the fact
$200–$400 / month
Kitchen & food cost
Fix: Week 3: Turn bar spot checks into a weekly pour cost
Spot checks find missing product only once it's gone. Over-pours and comps go unrecorded in between.

Revenue upside

Empty seats Monday to Thursday
$900–$2,250 / month
Guests & revenue
Fix: Day 3: Give guests one reason to come on your slowest night
Rent, staff and utilities cost the same on a quiet Tuesday. Weekend nights are carrying the whole week.
Guest emails collected but unused
$360–$720 / month
Guests & revenue
Fix: Week 3: Email your list about your slowest night
A list you never email is a slow-night tool left in the drawer.
Rating just below 4.5 stars
$270–$720 / month
Guests & revenue
Fix: Week 4: Ask every guest for a Google review
Diners can filter search results by star rating, so a few tenths of a star can decide whether you show up.

Your 72-hour plan goes after $1,260–$2,700 of the $1,730–$3,820 a month in profit leaks. Weeks 2 to 4 go after the rest. It also goes after $900–$2,250 of the $1,530–$3,690 a month in extra sales. Weeks 2 to 4 go after the rest.

Section 1

Prime cost check

Prime cost vs target

~65% · target ≤ 65%

Estimated right at your 65% target.

Unupdated recipe costs and unrecorded daily trim likely push food and drink expenses upward over time. Keeping staff on their scheduled shifts regardless of sales volume can drive labor costs above target.

At our working figure for your sales ($90,000 a month), each point of food, drink or labor cost is worth $900 a month, or $10,800 a year.

Work out your real prime cost

It takes about 30 minutes a week and replaces the estimate above.

1.Add up last week's food and drink invoices, Monday to Sunday. If stock levels stayed about the same, purchases are a fair stand-in for what you used.
2.Add up last week's labor: gross wages from payroll or the time clock, plus the employer taxes and benefits on your payroll report.
3.Add the two totals and divide by last week's net sales from your POS. That's your prime cost; your target is 65% or less.
4.Write the number on a sheet in the office and repeat every Monday. Four weeks show which half is creeping: hold food and drink against 30–34% of sales and labor against 30–35%, and fix the half over its range first.

Or use the calculator in section 7

Benchmarks for your format compared with your answers
Metric	Target	Your answer
Prime cost (food, drink + labor)Estimated ~65%	≤ 65%	Estimated ~65%
Food & beverage costRecipes: only when the menu changes	30–34%	Recipes: only when the menu changes
LaborEveryone works their scheduled shift anyway	30–35%	Everyone works their scheduled shift anyway
Occupancy8% – 12%	≤ 12%	8% – 12%

Section 2

Your biggest problems

1.Shifts do not flex with traffic
$720–$1,550 / mo
Staff work their full scheduled shifts even when dining rooms clear out. This practice can steadily inflate payroll during slow hours.
Your fix: Day 1 · Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it
2.Recipes costed only during menu changes
$540–$1,150 / mo
Ingredient costs shift while recipe prices remain untouched until the next update. As suppliers raise rates, your margins on key plates may shrink.
Your fix: Day 2 · Re-cost your best sellers at today's prices
3.Only big losses get logged
$270–$720 / mo
Staff record ruined cases but skip daily scrap, prep waste and plate returns. Small unlogged losses can quietly add up to substantial inventory write-offs.
Your fix: Week 2 · Log the small daily losses, not just spoiled cases

Section 3

What's working, what needs fixing, what to stop

The short version: what to keep doing, what needs fixing, and the habits to drop.

What's working

Occupancy cost in the normal range
No delivery commissions

What needs fixing

Shifts don't flex with traffic
Leak · $720–$1,550 a monthFix: Day 1: Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it
Recipes only costed when the menu changes
Leak · $540–$1,150 a monthFix: Day 2: Re-cost your best sellers at today's prices
Only big losses get logged
Leak · $270–$720 a monthFix: Week 2: Log the small daily losses, not just spoiled cases
Bar shrink caught only after the fact
Leak · $200–$400 a monthFix: Week 3: Turn bar spot checks into a weekly pour cost
Empty seats Monday to Thursday
Opportunity · $900–$2,250 a monthFix: Day 3: Give guests one reason to come on your slowest night
Guest emails collected but unused
Watch · $360–$720 a monthFix: Week 3: Email your list about your slowest night
Rating just below 4.5 stars
Watch · $270–$720 a monthFix: Week 4: Ask every guest for a Google review
Prime cost isn't tracked weekly
WatchFix: Week 2: Work out your prime cost every Monday

What to stop

Keeping the full crew on when it goes quiet.
Costing recipes only when the menu changes.
Writing down only the big losses.
Checking the bar only when bottles run out early.
Leaving your slowest night without a reason to come in.
Collecting guest emails and never using them.
Letting your rating sit just under the top without a plan to lift it.
Waiting for the monthly accounts to find out your prime cost.

Section 4

Your 72-hour action plan

One fix a day, biggest single leak first. No new software, no new hires.

Day 1 · Labor & overhead

$720–$1,550 / mo

Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it

Who: GM or shift managerTime: 1 hour to set up, 2 minutes a shift

Staff work full scheduled shifts regardless of guest volume, which leaves you carrying unnecessary payroll hours.

From your POS and time clock, pull four weeks of sales and staff hours by hour, and mark the hours with the most staff for the sales.
Set your cut line: average hourly labor cost (wages plus payroll taxes) ÷ 0.35. When sales per labor hour fall below that line, labor is running above 35% of sales.
Before each shift, write the cut order on the schedule: who goes home first, second and third, and who closes.
During the shift, the manager checks sales per labor hour on the hour and makes the first cut as soon as it drops below the line.

Expected impact:: Cutting labor to an hourly sales threshold goes after an estimated $720–$1,550 a month lost to inflexible scheduling.
How you'll know it's working:: Weekly labor cost moves toward 30–35% of sales without longer ticket times or more complaints.
Watch out:: Check local rules before sending people home early. Some states, such as California and New York, require minimum pay when a shift is cut short.

Team card

Day 2 · Kitchen & food cost

$540–$1,150 / mo

Re-cost your best sellers at today's prices

Who: Chef or kitchen managerTime: 2 hours

Updating costs only at menu rollouts leaves plates vulnerable to supplier price increases in between.

Add up the last four weeks of invoices by ingredient and list the 10 you spend the most on. Proteins, dairy, cooking oil and produce usually top the list.
Update those 10 prices in your existing recipe costs, then recalculate the 10 dishes you sell most.
Compare each dish's food cost now with when the menu launched, and give any dish that has crept up one fix: a tighter portion, a cheaper ingredient or a price change.
Book a 30-minute re-cost of those 10 ingredients every month, on the day your supplier statement arrives, so the next price rise can't hide until the next menu.

Expected impact:: Re-costing top sellers each month goes after an estimated $540–$1,150 a month lost to outdated recipe margins.
How you'll know it's working:: Within 30 days, the dishes that crept up have a fix in place, weekly food cost moves toward your 30–34% target, and the monthly re-cost is on the calendar.
Watch out:: Check each invoice line against the price you were quoted. Supplier price creep shows up line by line, not in the quote.

Team card

Day 3 · Guests & revenue

$900–$2,250 / mo

Give guests one reason to come on your slowest night

Who: Owner or GMTime: 1 hour to plan

Weekend crowds carry your operation while midweek tables remain open and unproductive.

From the last four weeks in your POS, find your slowest weeknight by covers.
Create one offer for that night only, built on your highest-profit dishes: a set two-course price, a neighborhood night or a family deal. Avoid a discount on the whole menu.
Tell your best audience first, your weekend guests: servers mention it when they drop the check, and it goes on your Google Business Profile, social pages and any guest list you have.
When you turn people away on a busy weekend, offer them a table on that weeknight instead.

Expected impact:: Driving traffic with a midweek special goes after an estimated $900–$2,250 a month in unrealized weeknight revenue.
How you'll know it's working:: Covers on that night rise over four weeks, and the average check holds because the offer is built on high-profit dishes.
Watch out:: Keep staffing lean on that night until covers actually grow, so the offer doesn't add labor before it adds sales.

Team card

Section 5

Your 30-day roadmap

Every fix your answers call for, one week at a time. Weeks 2 to 4 hold the fixes the 72-hour plan has no room for.

At a glance

Week 1Days 1–7
Days 4–7: keep all three fixes going, and check each one against its “How you’ll know it’s working” line.
Week 2Days 8–14
- Work out your prime cost every MondayOwner or GM · 30 minutes a week
- Log the small daily losses, not just spoiled casesChef or kitchen manager · 20 minutes to set up, 5 minutes a day
Week 3Days 15–21
- Turn bar spot checks into a weekly pour costBar manager or GM · 1 hour a week
- Email your list about your slowest nightOwner or GM · 1 hour
Week 4Days 22–30
- Ask every guest for a Google reviewGM and front-of-house staff · 30 minutes to set up
Days 28–30: compare your tracking sheet with its targets, and re-check your grade in your report. Whatever is still off is where to start next month.

Weeks 2 to 4 in full

Week 2 · Days 8–14

Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
Work out your prime cost every Monday
Who: Owner or GMTime: 30 minutes a week
Goes after “Prime cost isn't tracked weekly”
1. Add up last week's food and drink invoices, Monday to Sunday. If stock levels stayed about the same, purchases are a fair stand-in for what you used.
2. Add up last week's labor: gross wages from payroll or the time clock, plus the employer taxes and benefits on your payroll report.
3. Add the two totals and divide by last week's net sales from your POS. That's your prime cost; your target is 65% or less.
4. Write the number on a sheet in the office and repeat every Monday. Four weeks show which half is creeping: hold food and drink against 30–34% of sales and labor against 30–35%, and fix the half over its range first.
How you'll know it's working:
You have four Monday numbers in a row, and you know which half, food or labor, moves when prime cost rises.
Watch out:
Count invoices by delivery date, not payment date. Paying a big bill late makes one week look great and the next look terrible.
Team card for Work out your prime cost every Monday
Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
$270–$720 / mo
Log the small daily losses, not just spoiled cases
Who: Chef or kitchen managerTime: 20 minutes to set up, 5 minutes a day
Goes after “Only big losses get logged”
1. Put a daily waste sheet by the bins for the losses you don't log now: trim, over-prep, dropped food and plates sent back.
2. For three dinners, watch plates come back at the dish station and note which dishes return half-eaten. Those portions are bigger than guests want.
3. Reset prep amounts (pars) from what you actually sold on the same weekday over the last four weeks, not from habit.
4. Label and date everything in the walk-in and use the oldest first, so this week's spoiled case doesn't repeat next week.
Donate what's left: Lower your pars first, so less is left at close. For good food that's still left, book a regular pickup with a local food rescue group, where one collects near you, so you can send it to people who need it instead of the bin. Donate only food that was never served and was kept cold or hot, or cooled quickly by the safety rules.
Who may pick up near you, and the safety rules: https://restaurantdoctorai.com/guides/restaurant-food-donation
How you'll know it's working:
The daily sheet shows where the small losses are, and the most over-prepped items have lower pars within a week.
Watch out:
Don't cut portions across the menu. Trim only the dishes that keep coming back half-eaten.
Team card for Log the small daily losses, not just spoiled cases

Week 3 · Days 15–21

Week 3 · Kitchen & food cost
$200–$400 / mo
Turn bar spot checks into a weekly pour cost
Who: Bar manager or GMTime: 1 hour a week
Goes after “Bar shrink caught only after the fact”
1. Pick a fixed day and time for a full bar count every week, done by the same person in the same order before opening.
2. Work out pour cost from each count: (opening bar stock + bar purchases − closing bar stock) ÷ bar sales. Bars typically aim for 18–24%.
3. For your 10 best-selling bottles, compare what the count says you used with what the POS says you sold, and look into the three biggest gaps first.
4. Start a comp sheet so free drinks, spills and staff drinks are written down with a manager's initials instead of disappearing.
How you'll know it's working:
You have a pour cost number every week, and the gap between bottles used and drinks sold narrows.
Watch out:
A count only means something if it's done the same way every week. Changing the day, the person or the method breaks the trend.
Team card for Turn bar spot checks into a weekly pour cost
Week 3 · Guests & revenue
$360–$720 / mo
Email your list about your slowest night
Who: Owner or GMTime: 1 hour
Goes after “Guest emails collected but unused”
1. Export the guest emails you've already collected from your POS or reservation system.
2. Write one short email: one reason to come in on your slowest night, one photo of a dish, and your address and hours. Send it two days before that night.
3. Ask guests to mention the email when they order, or give it a simple code, so you can count the covers it brings.
4. Put the next two emails on the calendar, two weeks apart, and keep collecting emails at every check.
How you'll know it's working:
You can count the covers each email brings, and the list keeps growing every week.
Watch out:
Only email guests who agreed to hear from you, and include an unsubscribe link in every email.
Team card for Email your list about your slowest night

Week 4 · Days 22–30

Week 4 · Guests & revenue
$270–$720 / mo
Ask every guest for a Google review
Who: GM and front-of-house staffTime: 30 minutes to set up
Goes after “Rating just below 4.5 stars”
1. Copy your review link from your Google Business Profile and print it as a QR code on the receipt, plus a counter card, the takeout bag or the check presenter.
2. Train your front-of-house staff to mention it to every table the same way when they drop the check: "If you have a minute, a Google review helps us a lot." Never ask only the tables that loved it, and never press: Google's rules ban both.
3. Reply to every review from the last 60 days: thank the good ones specifically, and answer the critical ones calmly with what you've changed.
4. Read your last 20 reviews under 4 stars and fix the most repeated complaint, so new reviews stop mentioning it.
How you'll know it's working:
New Google reviews arrive every week, and your average climbs toward 4.5 over the next few months.
Watch out:
Never offer discounts or freebies for reviews, never ask only the guests you think are happy, and don't ask for Yelp reviews at all. All three break platform rules and can get reviews removed.
Team card for Ask every guest for a Google review

Section 6

Your 30-day tracking sheet

The numbers that tell you whether the fixes are working. Targets are set for your type of restaurant.

Prime cost

Weekly

(Food & drink purchases used + total labor incl. payroll taxes) ÷ sales

Start: ~65% (our estimate)

Target: ≤ 65%

Food & beverage cost

Weekly

(Opening inventory + purchases − closing inventory) ÷ food & drink sales

Target: 30–34%

Labor cost

Weekly

Total labor incl. payroll taxes ÷ sales

Target: 30–35%

Sales per labor hour

Every shift

Sales ÷ total staff hours worked

Target: Set a floor per shift and cut to it

Occupancy cost

Monthly

(Rent + property charges + utilities) ÷ sales

Target: ≤ 12%

For your fixes

Day 1 · Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it

Weekly

Labor cost, with service holding

Total labor cost ÷ sales for the week. Note any longer ticket times or more complaints.

Target: Moves toward 30–35% of sales, with no longer ticket times or more complaints

Day 2 · Re-cost your best sellers at today's prices

Weekly

Crept-up dishes still without a fix

Compare each best seller's food cost now with when the menu launched. Count the dishes that crept up and have no fix yet.

Target: None: every dish that crept up has a fix within 30 days

Day 3 · Give guests one reason to come on your slowest night

Weekly

Covers on your slowest night

Read that night's covers from your POS. Also write the average check, to see it holds.

Target: Covers rise over four weeks, and the average check holds

Your starting number

Week 2 · Log the small daily losses, not just spoiled cases

Weekly

Over-prepped items with a lower prep amount

Look at the daily sheet for the items thrown out most. Count how many of them now have a lower prep amount.

Target: The most over-prepped items all have lower prep amounts within a week

Week 3 · Turn bar spot checks into a weekly pour cost

Weekly

Bar pour cost from the weekly count

(Opening bar stock + bar purchases − closing bar stock) ÷ bar sales. The gap is what the count says you used, less what the POS says you sold.

Target: A number every week, and the gap narrows. Bars typically aim for 18–24%.

Week 3 · Email your list about your slowest night

Weekly

Covers brought by each email

Add up covers from guests who mentioned the email or used its code. Leave weeks with no email blank.

Target: You can count each email's covers, and the list keeps growing every week

Week 4 · Ask every guest for a Google review

Weekly

New Google reviews this week

Count the Google reviews posted since last Monday. Also write your current average rating.

Target: New reviews every week, and your average climbs toward 4.5

Want it on paper? Your report's PDF ends with this sheet, with boxes to fill in each week, ready to print.

Section 7

Find your real numbers

Our figures are estimates from your 12 answers. These swap an estimate for your own number, using what you already have: invoices, your payroll report and your POS.

Your real prime cost

Prime cost is food, drink and labor together, as a share of sales. If your stock stayed about the same, purchases are a fair stand-in for what you used.

ALast week's food and drink invoices, by delivery dateBLast week's labor: gross wages plus payroll taxesCLast week's net sales from your POS

Your prime cost = (A + B) ÷ C

–Target: 65% or less

Your real rent share

This is the share of your sales that goes to the building. Use one full month.

ALast month's rentBLast month's charges on top of rent, such as service charges or property taxesCLast month's utilitiesDLast month's net sales from your POS

Your rent share of sales = (A + B + C) ÷ D

–Target: 12% or less

Your real pour cost

Count the whole bar on the same day each week, before opening. Use the same person and the same order every time.

AOpening bar stock, at costBBar purchases for the weekCClosing bar stock, at costDBar sales for the week

Your pour cost = (A + B − C) ÷ D

–Target: 18–24%, the usual range for bars

Scale the estimates to your real sales

Every money figure in this report uses monthly sales of $90,000, our working figure for your answer ($60,000 – $120,000). If your real sales are different, scale the figures to match.

Your real monthly sales

Write your real monthly sales.
Divide them by $90,000. The answer is your scale number.
Multiply each money figure in this report by your scale number.

Nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere. It stays on this page.

Section 8

Day 30: re-check your grade

On day 30, update any answer that has changed since you started. Your grade and estimates are worked out again with the same formulas.

When a shift gets slow, what happens to staffing?

You answered: Everyone works their scheduled shift anyway

How often do you update recipe costs with current supplier prices?

You answered: Only when the menu changes

How do you track kitchen waste and spoilage?

You answered: Only when a big batch or case goes bad

How do you control drink pours?

You answered: Spot checks when bottles run out early

How full is your dining room across the week?

You answered: Packed on weekends, quiet midweek

How do you bring guests back?

You answered: We collect some emails but rarely use them

What's your average rating on Google and Yelp?

You answered: 4.0 – 4.4 stars

CNeeds attention

$1,730–$3,820

$1,530–$3,690

7 of 7 flagged answers still flagged

This shows where your answers stand, not your results. Your tracking sheet shows the results, including prime cost. Nothing you choose here is saved or sent.

Your printable worksheets

Blank sheets ready to print: one for your menu, and one for each fix in your plan that needs one.

Daily waste log
Write a line for everything that goes in the bin, even half a pan. Weigh or count it as you throw it out, not from memory at the end of the night.
Columns: Item · Amount · Reason · Initials
Bottle count in tenths
Count your best-selling bottles in tenths at open and close. Compare what you used with what the POS says you sold. The gap is over-pours, free drinks and unrung sales.
Columns: Bottle · Open + added · Close · Used · Sold per POS · Gap (used − sold)
Comp, spill and staff drinks
Write a line for every free drink, spill and staff drink, so none disappears. A manager initials each line.
Columns: Date · Drink · Type · Who or why · Manager initials
Best-seller plate costs
List your 10 best sellers and write each plate cost from your latest invoices. Divide plate cost by menu price to see which dishes need a fix.
Columns: Dish · Menu price · Plate cost · Plate cost ÷ price · Fix
Your menu: popular and profitable
From the last 30 days of item sales, write each dish's number sold and its price minus plate cost. Sort by total profit.
Columns: Dish · Number sold · Profit per plate · Total profit · Popular? · Profitable?
Top ingredient price log
At every delivery, write the unit price of your top 10 ingredients next to the last price paid. Check each invoice line against the price you were quoted.
Columns: Date · Ingredient · Price today · Last price paid · Change (%)
Cut line and cut order
Before each shift, write the cut order on the schedule: who goes home first, second and third, and who closes. Each hour, fill in a row, and make the first cut once sales per labor hour fall below your line.
Columns: Hour · Sales · Staff hours · Sales ÷ staff hours · Cut made (who)
Slowest night covers
Find your slowest weeknight by covers in the POS. Fill the first four rows from your last four weeks, then add one row each week after the offer starts.
Columns: Week of · Covers · Average check · Offers sold · Turned-away guests booked
Email results count
Write each email you send and the covers it brings. Ask guests to mention the email when they order, or give it a simple code.
Columns: Date sent · Offer · Code or phrase · Covers counted · List size
Weekly Google reviews
Each week, write how many guests you asked, how many new Google reviews came in and your average rating.
Columns: Week of · Guests asked · New reviews · Average rating · Replies sent

Tell your team

Fixes stick when the team knows why. Print a card, pin it where your team will see it, and read its “Say this” line aloud at pre-shift.

Day 1 · Labor & overhead
We're posting the go-home order on the schedule
Say this at pre-shift
From now on, the schedule shows who goes home first, second and third when it's slow, and who closes. Each hour, the shift manager checks how busy we are and makes the call.
What each of us does
Everyone working
Read the go-home order on the schedule before your shift. When the manager makes the call, it follows that order.
Whoever is closing
The schedule names who closes. If it's you, you stay on while others are sent home.
Shift manager
Post the go-home order before each shift. Each hour, if sales are low for the people working, send the first person home.
Why we're doing it
Writing the order down means nobody has to guess, and the people working match how busy we are.
Watch out
Please wait for the manager's call before you clock out, even if it looks slow. Questions about your hours? Just ask.
Starts
Led by
(GM or shift manager)
Questions to
Day 2 · Kitchen & food cost
We're checking what our dishes cost now
Say this at pre-shift
The chef is checking our best sellers against today's ingredient prices. That happens in the office, so your part is small.
What each of us does
Whoever takes deliveries
Keep every invoice and hand it to the chef, so prices can be checked.
Everyone on the line
If a dish gets a tighter portion or a different ingredient, plate it the new way from then on.
Chef
Re-check the prices of our 10 biggest ingredients every month, when the supplier statement arrives.
Why we're doing it
Ingredient prices creep up a little at a time. Checking often means a rise can't hide from us.
Watch out
Please don't bin an invoice, even a small one. Each line on it is how we spot a price rise.
Starts
Led by
(Chef or kitchen manager)
Questions to
Day 3 · Guests & revenue
We're filling our slowest night together
Say this at pre-shift
We're giving guests one reason to come on our slowest weeknight, and our weekend guests will hear about it first. I'll go over the offer with you now.
What each of us does
Servers
When you drop the check for weekend guests, mention the offer in one friendly sentence. Never a pitch.
Host
When we're turning people away on a busy weekend, offer them a table on the offer night instead.
Why we're doing it
Slow nights feel long, so a few more tables on our quietest night makes the shift go faster.
Watch out
Please expect a small crew on that night until more guests come.
Starts
Led by
(Owner or GM)
Questions to
Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
We're adding up last week's costs every Monday
Say this at pre-shift
Every Monday we add up last week's food, drink and labor costs. That happens in the office, and your part is two small things.
What each of us does
Whoever takes deliveries
Write the date it arrived on every invoice.
Everyone on shift
Clock in and out at your real times.
Why we're doing it
The weekly numbers are only as good as the dates and hours behind them.
Watch out
Please write the day the delivery arrived, not the day the bill gets paid. Then one week won't look better or worse than it was.
Starts
Led by
(Owner or GM)
Questions to
Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
We're logging the small stuff we throw out
Say this at pre-shift
We're starting a daily sheet by the bins for the small stuff. That means trim, over-prep, dropped food and plates sent back. Please also label and date everything in the walk-in.
What each of us does
Everyone on the line
Log trim, over-prep, dropped food and plates sent back on the daily sheet.
Everyone stocking the walk-in
Label and date everything, and use the oldest first.
Chef
For three dinners, note which dishes come back half-eaten. Then set prep amounts from what we sold on the same weekday.
Why we're doing it
Spoiled cases are easy to spot. Small daily waste is the kind we miss, and the sheet shows us where it is.
Watch out
Write it down even when it feels too small to count. Nobody gets in trouble for what's on the sheet.
Starts
Led by
(Chef or kitchen manager)
Questions to
Week 3 · Kitchen & food cost
We're counting the whole bar every week
Say this at pre-shift
Every week the bar gets a full count before we open. Same day, same order, same person. We're also starting a comp sheet for free drinks, spills and staff drinks.
What each of us does
Whoever does the count
Count every bottle on the same day and time each week, in the same order, before opening.
Everyone behind the bar
Write every free drink, spill and staff drink on the comp sheet, with a manager's initials. Nobody gets in trouble for what's on it.
Why we're doing it
Counting the same way every week lets us see if the bar is getting better or slipping.
Watch out
Please keep the count the same every week: same day, same person, same order. Changing it makes one week hard to compare with the next.
Starts
Led by
(Bar manager or GM)
Questions to
Week 3 · Guests & revenue
We're emailing guests about our slowest night
Say this at pre-shift
We're about to email our guests about our slowest night, and your part is small. Keep offering emailed receipts, and note it when a guest mentions the email.
What each of us does
Servers
Keep offering an emailed receipt at every check, and add the address only if the guest says yes.
Whoever takes the order
If a guest mentions our email or gives a code, note it the way your manager shows you.
Why we're doing it
When guests read our email and come in, a quiet night gets busier, and noting who came shows us it's working.
Watch out
Only add a guest's email when they say yes, and never press if they'd rather not.
Starts
Led by
(Owner or GM)
Questions to
Week 4 · Guests & revenue
We're asking every guest for a Google review
Say this at pre-shift
We're asking every guest for a Google review, the same way each time. We're putting a QR code where they can scan it. Mention it once, kindly, and never only to the guests who loved it.
What each of us does
Servers
When you drop the check, say to every table: "If you have a minute, a Google review helps us a lot."
Host and counter staff
If a guest asks how, point them to the QR code on the receipt, counter card or check presenter.
Why we're doing it
New guests read reviews before they pick a place, and honest reviews from more of our guests help them choose us.
Watch out
Never offer anything for a review, and never ask only the happy guests. If a guest would rather not, thank them warmly and move on.
Starts
Led by
(GM and front-of-house staff)
Questions to

Your 12 answers

Service format (Healthy): Full service / casual dining (Servers, moderate check)
Monthly sales (Healthy): $60,000 – $120,000 ($720K – $1.44M a year)
Prime cost (self-reported) (Watch): I don't track it regularly
Recipe costing (Leak): Only when the menu changes
Waste tracking (Leak): Only when a big batch or case goes bad
Drink pour control (Leak): Spot checks when bottles run out early
Labor flexing (Leak): Everyone works their scheduled shift anyway
Occupancy cost (Healthy): 8% – 12%
Delivery app share (Healthy): None (Dine-in and our own ordering only)
How busy you are (Opportunity): Packed on weekends, quiet midweek
Guest follow-up (Watch): We collect some emails but rarely use them
Public rating (Watch): 4.0 – 4.4 stars

Now check your own restaurant

Your answers, your grade and your biggest problem in money, free.

Start my free check

12 questions · about 45 seconds · no POS or bank logins

Step 1 · Free, about 45 seconds

The free result

What the free check shows right after the 12 answers. Every figure comes from the scoring model and the answers.

Grade D · At risk

A small share of your sales looks to be lost to avoidable costs. Worth tightening. Prime cost isn't tracked, so the grade counts it as 65% or more, the highest answer, which sets this grade.

7 of the 12 answers need attention. The grade covers costs; the answers about sales don't change it.

You

ABCDF

Less money lostMore money lost

Estimated profit leak

$780–$1,570 a month

or $9,360–$18,840 a year

Estimated from the answers and the sales range, not from the books.

Biggest of 3 leaks: Shifts don't flex with traffic, about $340–$720 a month.

Day 1 of the plan

Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it

The 10 scored answers

Tap one to see why it was scored that way.

Dinner service under-filledOpportunity$430–$850/mo
Opportunity. Dinner usually carries the higher check. Empty tables at night are your most expensive idle capacity.
Shifts don't flex with trafficLeak$340–$720/mo
Leak. Paying a full crew through slow hours is a common labor leak. Every idle hour costs the same as a busy one.
Menu priced by feel, not plate costLeak$380–$680/mo
Leak. Without plate costs you can't tell which dishes make money. Competitor-based prices often hide dishes sold near or below cost.
No way to invite guests backOpportunity$340–$680/mo
Opportunity. Social posts reach a fraction of followers. Without a guest list you can't bring regulars back on a slow night.
Waste is estimated, not measuredLeak$60–$170/mo
Leak. Weekly eyeballing misses trim loss and over-portioning, two hidden drivers of food cost.
Prime cost isn't tracked weeklyWatch
Watch. Without a weekly prime cost number, cost creep shows up in the P&L months later, after the cash is gone. Every leak in this report grows while it goes unmeasured.
Occupancy above 12% of salesWatch
Watch. This is a fixed cost that no 72-hour fix will change. The levers are sales per seat and lease terms at renewal. It makes the leaks above more urgent.
No alcohol pour riskHealthy
Healthy. No bar program means no over-pour or bar shrink to control.
App prices cover commissionsHealthy
Healthy. Marking app menus up to cover fees protects your margin on delivery orders.
Strong public ratingHealthy
Healthy. A 4.5+ rating keeps first-time guests choosing you in search results.

By area

Grade F: Prime costNot tracked, so graded as 65% or more · estimated ~60% vs a 60% target
Grade C: Kitchen & food cost2 leaks · $440–$850 a month
Grade C: Labor & overhead1 leak · $340–$720 a month · rent above your range
Grade A: DeliveryNo leak found
Guests & revenue (not graded)$770–$1,530 a month in sales you could add

Overall D because prime cost isn't tracked, so the grade counts it as 65% or more, the highest answer and all leaks together come to 2.8% of sales; prime cost is graded on its own points over target, more strictly than the whole.

What changes if…

Example café's answer on labor flexing: “Everyone works their scheduled shift anyway”

What if it were: “We cut staff based on sales per labor hour”?

Grade: D · At risk
Estimated loss to avoidable costs: $780–$1,570 a month

With the change: grade D, $440–$850 a month. Scored by the same model as the free check.

Step 2 · $9.99, paid once

The full report

Profit diagnostic

Example café

Prepared October 27, 2026Example restaurant, not a real businessCafé or coffee shop

Grade D · At risk

Keeping staff on the clock through slow hours costs your café real money.

Having staff work scheduled shifts regardless of traffic can quietly drain your cash during slow hours. Setting prices by feel or competitors rather than ingredient costs may leave top sellers unprofitable.

By area

Grade F: Prime costNot tracked, so graded as 65% or more · estimated ~60% vs a 60% target
Grade C: Kitchen & food cost2 leaks · $440–$850 a month
Grade C: Labor & overhead1 leak · $340–$720 a month · rent above your range
Grade A: DeliveryNo leak found
Guests & revenue (not graded)$770–$1,530 a month in sales you could add

Start here today

Day 1: Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it

First step: From your POS and time clock, pull four weeks of sales and staff hours by hour, and mark the hours with the most staff for the sales.

Who: GM or shift managerTime: 1 hour to set up, 2 minutes a shift

Goes after “Shifts don't flex with traffic”, which costs you about $11–$24 a day.

See your 72-hour action plan

Recoverable profit leak

$780–$1,570

Per month · $9,360–$18,840 a year

About $25–$50 a day

Prime cost

~60%

Target ≤ 60% · estimated

Revenue upside

$770–$1,530

Per month · from seats, guests and rating

Where the money is going

Estimated per month, biggest first. Solid bar: low estimate. Light bar: high estimate.

Profit leaks

Shifts don't flex with traffic
$340–$720 / month
Labor & overhead
Fix: Day 1: Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it
Paying a full crew through slow hours is a common labor leak. Every idle hour costs the same as a busy one.
Menu priced by feel, not plate cost
$380–$680 / month
Kitchen & food cost
Fix: Day 2: Cost your 10 best sellers from this week's invoices
Without plate costs you can't tell which dishes make money. Competitor-based prices often hide dishes sold near or below cost.
Waste is estimated, not measured
$60–$170 / month
Kitchen & food cost
Fix: Week 2: Swap waste estimates for a weighed daily log
Weekly eyeballing misses trim loss and over-portioning, two hidden drivers of food cost.

Revenue upside

Dinner service under-filled
$430–$850 / month
Guests & revenue
Fix: Day 3: Turn your lunch regulars into dinner guests
Dinner usually carries the higher check. Empty tables at night are your most expensive idle capacity.
No way to invite guests back
$340–$680 / month
Guests & revenue
Fix: Week 3: Start building your own guest list this week
Social posts reach a fraction of followers. Without a guest list you can't bring regulars back on a slow night.

Your 72-hour plan goes after $720–$1,400 of the $780–$1,570 a month in profit leaks. Weeks 2 to 4 go after the rest. It also goes after $430–$850 of the $770–$1,530 a month in extra sales. Weeks 2 to 4 go after the rest.

Section 1

Prime cost check

Prime cost vs target

~60% · target ≤ 60%

Estimated right at your 60% target.

Setting prices by feel and guessing weekly waste are likely driving up ingredient costs. Keeping every worker through their scheduled shift anyway can push labor costs higher during quiet periods.

At our working figure for your sales ($42,500 a month), each point of food, drink or labor cost is worth $425 a month, or $5,100 a year.

Work out your real prime cost

It takes about 30 minutes a week and replaces the estimate above.

1.Add up last week's food and drink invoices, Monday to Sunday. If stock levels stayed about the same, purchases are a fair stand-in for what you used.
2.Add up last week's labor: gross wages from payroll or the time clock, plus the employer taxes and benefits on your payroll report.
3.Add the two totals and divide by last week's net sales from your POS. That's your prime cost; your target is 60% or less.
4.Write the number on a sheet in the office and repeat every Monday. Four weeks show which half is creeping: hold food and drink against 24–32% of sales and labor against 28–34%, and fix the half over its range first.

Or use the calculator in section 7

Benchmarks for your format compared with your answers
Metric	Target	Your answer
Prime cost (food, drink + labor)Estimated ~60%	≤ 60%	Estimated ~60%
Food & beverage costRecipes: rarely	24–32%	Recipes: rarely
LaborEveryone works their scheduled shift anyway	28–34%	Everyone works their scheduled shift anyway
OccupancyMore than 12%	≤ 10%	More than 12%

Section 2

Your biggest problems

1.Shifts don't flex with traffic
$340–$720 / mo
Staff work their full scheduled shifts even when sales drop off. This can quickly inflate payroll costs during quiet hours.
Your fix: Day 1 · Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it
2.Menu priced by feel, not plate cost
$380–$680 / mo
You rarely price items against actual ingredient invoices. Over time, unseen ingredient price changes can turn best sellers into loss makers.
Your fix: Day 2 · Cost your 10 best sellers from this week's invoices
3.Waste is estimated, not measured
$60–$170 / mo
Waste is tracked only as a rough estimate during weekly inventory. Unrecorded prep waste and over-portioning can quietly push food costs up.
Your fix: Week 2 · Swap waste estimates for a weighed daily log

Section 3

What's working, what needs fixing, what to stop

The short version: what to keep doing, what needs fixing, and the habits to drop.

What's working

No alcohol pour risk
App prices cover commissions
Strong public rating

What needs fixing

Shifts don't flex with traffic
Leak · $340–$720 a monthFix: Day 1: Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it
Menu priced by feel, not plate cost
Leak · $380–$680 a monthFix: Day 2: Cost your 10 best sellers from this week's invoices
Waste is estimated, not measured
Leak · $60–$170 a monthFix: Week 2: Swap waste estimates for a weighed daily log
Dinner service under-filled
Opportunity · $430–$850 a monthFix: Day 3: Turn your lunch regulars into dinner guests
No way to invite guests back
Opportunity · $340–$680 a monthFix: Week 3: Start building your own guest list this week
Prime cost isn't tracked weekly
WatchFix: Week 2: Work out your prime cost every Monday
Occupancy above 12% of sales
WatchFix: Week 4: Know your rent share and plan for your lease

What to stop

Keeping the full crew on when it goes quiet.
Pricing dishes by feel instead of by plate cost.
Guessing waste at inventory instead of weighing it.
Letting lunch guests leave without a reason to come back for dinner.
Relying on social posts to bring guests back.
Waiting for the monthly accounts to find out your prime cost.
Letting rent take more of your sales than usual for your type of restaurant, without a plan for it.

Section 4

Your 72-hour action plan

One fix a day, biggest single leak first. No new software, no new hires.

Day 1 · Labor & overhead

$340–$720 / mo

Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it

Who: GM or shift managerTime: 1 hour to set up, 2 minutes a shift

Staff always work their scheduled shift anyway, which means your labor cost stays high when sales drop.

From your POS and time clock, pull four weeks of sales and staff hours by hour, and mark the hours with the most staff for the sales.
Set your cut line: average hourly labor cost (wages plus payroll taxes) ÷ 0.34. When sales per labor hour fall below that line, labor is running above 34% of sales.
Before each shift, write the cut order on the schedule: who goes home first, second and third, and who closes.
During the shift, the manager checks sales per labor hour on the hour and makes the first cut as soon as it drops below the line.

For your type of restaurant: Stagger start times so the extra barista and the person on the register arrive with the morning rush, not an hour before it.

Expected impact:: Cutting staff to a set sales-per-labor-hour line goes after an estimated $340–$720 a month lost to inflexible scheduling.
How you'll know it's working:: Weekly labor cost moves toward 28–34% of sales without longer ticket times or more complaints.
Watch out:: Check local rules before sending people home early. Some states, such as California and New York, require minimum pay when a shift is cut short.

Team card

Day 2 · Kitchen & food cost

$380–$680 / mo

Cost your 10 best sellers from this week's invoices

Who: Chef or kitchen managerTime: 3 hours over 3 days

Prices are set by feel or competitors, meaning current dish profits remain unknown.

Print last month's item sales report from your POS and circle the 10 dishes you sell most.
For each one, list every ingredient and its portion, including sides, sauces, garnish and to-go packaging. Weigh portions the way the line actually plates them, not the way the recipe says.
Price each ingredient from your latest invoices, using the usable amount after trimming rather than the weight you bought, and add them up to get the plate cost.
Divide each plate cost by its menu price. Give the three dishes with the highest food cost one fix each: trim the portion back to spec, swap the priciest ingredient, or raise the price at your next menu change.

For your type of restaurant: Cost your 10 best-selling drinks and bakes the same way: the shot, the milk, syrups, and the cup, lid and sleeve. In a café, packaging is a real part of a drink's cost.

Expected impact:: Costing your 10 best sellers from recent invoices goes after an estimated $380–$680 a month lost to uncosted menu items.
How you'll know it's working:: Within 30 days, all 10 dishes have a written plate cost, the three worst have a fix in place, and weekly food cost moves toward your 24–32% target.
Watch out:: Don't raise prices across the whole menu. Fix the few dishes that are actually under-priced and leave the rest alone.

Team card

Day 3 · Guests & revenue

$430–$850 / mo

Turn your lunch regulars into dinner guests

Who: Owner or GMTime: 1 hour

Your café has busy lunches and slow dinners, leaving evening seats open.

Hand every lunch guest a dinner invitation with their order: a small thank-you, such as a free dessert, valid at dinner within the next two weeks.
Make dinner easy to find: dinner hours, the dinner menu and evening photos on your Google Business Profile and website.
Read your last 30 reviews and compare dinner with lunch. If dinner has a repeated complaint, such as slower service or a thinner menu, fix that first.
Count the invitations that come back each week, so you know whether the offer is working.

Expected impact:: Inviting your lunch regulars to return for dinner goes after an estimated $430–$850 a month in unrealized evening sales.
How you'll know it's working:: Dinner covers rise over four weeks, and returned invitations show lunch guests coming back at night.
Watch out:: If dinner stays empty after a month, consider shorter dinner hours on your slowest nights. Closing an empty room early saves labor and utilities.

Team card

Section 5

Your 30-day roadmap

Every fix your answers call for, one week at a time. Weeks 2 to 4 hold the fixes the 72-hour plan has no room for.

At a glance

Week 1Days 1–7
Days 4–7: keep all three fixes going, and check each one against its “How you’ll know it’s working” line.
Week 2Days 8–14
- Work out your prime cost every MondayOwner or GM · 30 minutes a week
- Swap waste estimates for a weighed daily logChef or kitchen manager · 10 minutes a day
Week 3Days 15–21
- Start building your own guest list this weekGM · 30 minutes to set up
Week 4Days 22–30
- Know your rent share and plan for your leaseOwner · 1 hour, then 15 minutes a month
Days 28–30: compare your tracking sheet with its targets, and re-check your grade in your report. Whatever is still off is where to start next month.

Weeks 2 to 4 in full

Week 2 · Days 8–14

Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
Work out your prime cost every Monday
Who: Owner or GMTime: 30 minutes a week
Goes after “Prime cost isn't tracked weekly”
1. Add up last week's food and drink invoices, Monday to Sunday. If stock levels stayed about the same, purchases are a fair stand-in for what you used.
2. Add up last week's labor: gross wages from payroll or the time clock, plus the employer taxes and benefits on your payroll report.
3. Add the two totals and divide by last week's net sales from your POS. That's your prime cost; your target is 60% or less.
4. Write the number on a sheet in the office and repeat every Monday. Four weeks show which half is creeping: hold food and drink against 24–32% of sales and labor against 28–34%, and fix the half over its range first.
How you'll know it's working:
You have four Monday numbers in a row, and you know which half, food or labor, moves when prime cost rises.
Watch out:
Count invoices by delivery date, not payment date. Paying a big bill late makes one week look great and the next look terrible.
Team card for Work out your prime cost every Monday
Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
$60–$170 / mo
Swap waste estimates for a weighed daily log
Who: Chef or kitchen managerTime: 10 minutes a day
Goes after “Waste is estimated, not measured”
1. Keep the kitchen scale you use for portions by the bins, and weigh waste as it's thrown out instead of estimating it at inventory.
2. Log each entry with a reason (over-prep, spoiled, trim or sent back) and the cook's initials.
3. At the end of the week, price the log from your invoices and divide it by the week's food purchases, so you know waste as a share of what you bought.
4. Lower the prep amounts (pars) for the three items with the most waste, and check the effect in next week's log.
Donate what's left: Lower your pars first, so less is left at close. For good food that's still left, book a regular pickup with a local food rescue group, where one collects near you, so you can send it to people who need it instead of the bin. Donate only food that was never served and was kept cold or hot, or cooled quickly by the safety rules.
Who may pick up near you, and the safety rules: https://restaurantdoctorai.com/guides/restaurant-food-donation
How you'll know it's working:
You know what last week's waste cost, not a guess, and the three biggest items fall week over week.
Watch out:
Log waste at the moment it's thrown out. Totals written from memory at the end of the night miss much of it.
Team card for Swap waste estimates for a weighed daily log

Week 3 · Days 15–21

Week 3 · Guests & revenue
$340–$680 / mo
Start building your own guest list this week
Who: GMTime: 30 minutes to set up
Goes after “No way to invite guests back”
1. Check your POS settings: most can email receipts and save the address to a customer list. Turn it on and have register staff offer an emailed receipt at checkout.
2. Put a sign-up sheet or QR code on the counter and the receipt, with one clear reason to join, such as a birthday treat or first word on specials.
3. Aim for 50 new contacts a week, and post the running count in the back of house so the team sees it grow.
4. Once you have 100 contacts, send one short email inviting them in on your slowest night.
How you'll know it's working:
The list grows every week toward 50 new contacts, and your first email goes out within a month.
Watch out:
Ask before adding anyone to your list, include an unsubscribe link in every email, and only text guests who agreed in writing to marketing texts.
Team card for Start building your own guest list this week

Week 4 · Days 22–30

Week 4 · Labor & overhead
Know your rent share and plan for your lease
Who: OwnerTime: 1 hour, then 15 minutes a month
Goes after “Occupancy above 12% of sales”
1. Add up last month's rent, any charges on top of rent (such as service charges or property taxes) and utilities, and divide by last month's net sales. That's your occupancy cost; for your type of restaurant it should be 10% or less.
2. Work out the sales that would bring it to 10%: last month's occupancy cost ÷ 0.10. The gap to your real sales shows how far sales, not cost cuts, would have to move to bring rent back into range.
3. Find your lease's renewal date, notice period and any rent review, and put them in your calendar. If renewal is within a year, talk to your landlord early and get professional advice before you sign.
4. For one week, walk the building at close and list the lights, equipment, heating or cooling left on with nobody using them. Add switching them off to the closing checklist.
How you'll know it's working:
You know your occupancy cost as a share of sales every month, your lease dates are in the calendar, and nothing is left running at close.
Watch out:
Don't cut staff or hours to make rent look smaller. Rent rarely moves month to month, so the levers are more sales from the same space, lower utility bills and better terms at renewal.
Team card for Know your rent share and plan for your lease

Section 6

Your 30-day tracking sheet

The numbers that tell you whether the fixes are working. Targets are set for your type of restaurant.

Prime cost

Weekly

(Food & drink purchases used + total labor incl. payroll taxes) ÷ sales

Start: ~60% (our estimate)

Target: ≤ 60%

Food & beverage cost

Weekly

(Opening inventory + purchases − closing inventory) ÷ food & drink sales

Target: 24–32%

Labor cost

Weekly

Total labor incl. payroll taxes ÷ sales

Target: 28–34%

Sales per labor hour

Every shift

Sales ÷ total staff hours worked

Target: Set a floor per shift and cut to it

Occupancy cost

Monthly

(Rent + property charges + utilities) ÷ sales

Target: ≤ 10%

Delivery margin

Monthly

(App sales − commissions − packaging) ÷ app sales

Target: Above your in-house margin

For your fixes

Day 1 · Set a sales-per-labor-hour line and cut to it

Weekly

Labor cost, with service holding

Total labor cost ÷ sales for the week. Note any longer ticket times or more complaints.

Target: Moves toward 28–34% of sales, with no longer ticket times or more complaints

Day 2 · Cost your 10 best sellers from this week's invoices

Weekly

Best sellers with a written plate cost

Count how many of your 10 best sellers have a plate cost written down. Note how many of the three worst have a fix in place.

Target: All 10 costed, the three worst dishes fixed, within 30 days

Day 3 · Turn your lunch regulars into dinner guests

Weekly

Dinner covers this week

Read this week's dinner covers from your POS. Also count the dinner invitations that came back.

Target: Dinner covers rise over four weeks, with invitations coming back

Your starting number

Week 2 · Swap waste estimates for a weighed daily log

Weekly

Cost of last week's weighed waste

Price each line of the waste log from your invoices and add them up. Note which three items cost the most.

Target: A real cost, not a guess; the three biggest items fall week over week

Week 3 · Start building your own guest list this week

Weekly

New contacts added this week

Count the new emails and sign-ups added to your guest list this week.

Target: Toward 50 new contacts every week, and your first email out within a month

Week 4 · Know your rent share and plan for your lease

Weekly

Nights something was left running

Count the nights this week the closing walk found anything left on with nobody using it.

Target: None, and switching off is on the closing checklist

Want it on paper? Your report's PDF ends with this sheet, with boxes to fill in each week, ready to print.

Section 7

Find your real numbers

Our figures are estimates from your 12 answers. These swap an estimate for your own number, using what you already have: invoices, your payroll report and your POS.

Your real prime cost

Prime cost is food, drink and labor together, as a share of sales. If your stock stayed about the same, purchases are a fair stand-in for what you used.

ALast week's food and drink invoices, by delivery dateBLast week's labor: gross wages plus payroll taxesCLast week's net sales from your POS

Your prime cost = (A + B) ÷ C

–Target: 60% or less

Your real rent share

This is the share of your sales that goes to the building. Use one full month.

ALast month's rentBLast month's charges on top of rent, such as service charges or property taxesCLast month's utilitiesDLast month's net sales from your POS

Your rent share of sales = (A + B + C) ÷ D

–Target: 10% or less

Scale the estimates to your real sales

Every money figure in this report uses monthly sales of $42,500, our working figure for your answer ($25,000 – $60,000). If your real sales are different, scale the figures to match.

Your real monthly sales

Write your real monthly sales.
Divide them by $42,500. The answer is your scale number.
Multiply each money figure in this report by your scale number.

Nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere. It stays on this page.

Section 8

Day 30: re-check your grade

On day 30, update any answer that has changed since you started. Your grade and estimates are worked out again with the same formulas.

When a shift gets slow, what happens to staffing?

You answered: Everyone works their scheduled shift anyway

How often do you update recipe costs with current supplier prices?

You answered: Rarely (Prices are set by feel or by competitors)

How do you track kitchen waste and spoilage?

You answered: A rough estimate during weekly inventory

How full is your dining room across the week?

You answered: Busy lunches, slow dinners

How do you bring guests back?

You answered: Social media and walk-ins only

What share of sales goes to rent, property costs and utilities?

You answered: More than 12%

DAt risk

$780–$1,570

$770–$1,530

6 of 6 flagged answers still flagged

This shows where your answers stand, not your results. Your tracking sheet shows the results, including prime cost. Nothing you choose here is saved or sent.

Your printable worksheets

Blank sheets ready to print: one for your menu, and one for each fix in your plan that needs one.

Daily waste log
Write a line for everything that goes in the bin, even half a pan. Weigh or count it as you throw it out, not from memory at the end of the night.
Columns: Item · Amount · Reason · Initials
Best-seller plate costs
List your 10 best sellers and write each plate cost from your latest invoices. Divide plate cost by menu price to see which dishes need a fix.
Columns: Dish · Menu price · Plate cost · Plate cost ÷ price · Fix
Your menu: popular and profitable
From the last 30 days of item sales, write each dish's number sold and its price minus plate cost. Sort by total profit.
Columns: Dish · Number sold · Profit per plate · Total profit · Popular? · Profitable?
Cut line and cut order
Before each shift, write the cut order on the schedule: who goes home first, second and third, and who closes. Each hour, fill in a row, and make the first cut once sales per labor hour fall below your line.
Columns: Hour · Sales · Staff hours · Sales ÷ staff hours · Cut made (who)
Left on at close
For one week, walk the building at close. Write down anything left on with nobody using it, and what you did about it.
Columns: Date · Area · What was left on · Switched off? · Added to checklist?
Dinner invitation count
Each week, write how many dinner invitations you hand out and how many come back. Returned invitations show whether lunch guests return at night.
Columns: Week of · Invitations handed out · Invitations returned · Dinner covers
Weekly guest list count
Each week, write how many new contacts you gathered and where they came from. Post the running total in the back of house so the team sees it grow.
Columns: Week of · Emailed receipts · Sign-up sheet or QR · New this week · Running total

Tell your team

Fixes stick when the team knows why. Print a card, pin it where your team will see it, and read its “Say this” line aloud at pre-shift.

Day 1 · Labor & overhead
We're posting the go-home order on the schedule
Say this at pre-shift
From now on, the schedule shows who goes home first, second and third when it's slow, and who closes. Each hour, the shift manager checks how busy we are and makes the call.
What each of us does
Everyone working
Read the go-home order on the schedule before your shift. When the manager makes the call, it follows that order.
Whoever is closing
The schedule names who closes. If it's you, you stay on while others are sent home.
Shift manager
Post the go-home order before each shift. Each hour, if sales are low for the people working, send the first person home.
Why we're doing it
Writing the order down means nobody has to guess, and the people working match how busy we are.
Watch out
Please wait for the manager's call before you clock out, even if it looks slow. Questions about your hours? Just ask.
Starts
Led by
(GM or shift manager)
Questions to
Day 2 · Kitchen & food cost
We're working out what our best sellers cost
Say this at pre-shift
The chef is working out what our 10 best-selling dishes cost to make. Please plate them the way you really do, not the way the recipe says.
What each of us does
Everyone on the line
Plate our best sellers the way you always do while the chef weighs portions.
Anyone plating or packing
Tell the chef about anything extra that goes with a dish, like sauces, garnish, sides or to-go packaging.
Chef
Weigh the portions as plated. Tell the team if a dish gets a smaller portion or a different ingredient.
Why we're doing it
The chef can only fix a dish if the numbers match what really goes out on the plate.
Watch out
Please plate as you really do, not as the recipe says. Nobody's in trouble for it, and only the few dishes that need it will change.
Starts
Led by
(Chef or kitchen manager)
Questions to
Day 3 · Guests & revenue
We're inviting lunch guests back for dinner
Say this at pre-shift
From today, every lunch guest gets a dinner invitation with their order. If someone brings one to dinner, we welcome them back and honor it.
What each of us does
Lunch register staff
Hand every lunch guest a dinner invitation with their order. A smile and a thank you is all it takes.
Dinner team
When a guest brings an invitation, welcome them back and honor it. Then give it to the manager on duty.
Manager on duty
Keep the invitations that come back and count them each week, so we know if this is working.
Why we're doing it
Our lunch guests already know us, so a small thank-you can bring them back at night for dinner.
Watch out
Please give one to every lunch guest and pass every returned one to the manager, because that's how we know it's working.
Starts
Led by
(Owner or GM)
Questions to
Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
We're adding up last week's costs every Monday
Say this at pre-shift
Every Monday we add up last week's food, drink and labor costs. That happens in the office, and your part is two small things.
What each of us does
Whoever takes deliveries
Write the date it arrived on every invoice.
Everyone on shift
Clock in and out at your real times.
Why we're doing it
The weekly numbers are only as good as the dates and hours behind them.
Watch out
Please write the day the delivery arrived, not the day the bill gets paid. Then one week won't look better or worse than it was.
Starts
Led by
(Owner or GM)
Questions to
Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
We're weighing what we throw out
Say this at pre-shift
From now on the kitchen scale sits by the bins. Weigh what you throw out and log it right then, so we know what we really waste.
What each of us does
Everyone on the line
Weigh what you throw out on the scale by the bins. Log what it was, the weight, why and your initials.
Chef
Each week, lower the prep amount for the three items with the most waste. Then check next week's log.
Why we're doing it
Weighing gives us real numbers instead of guesses, so we know what to prep less of.
Watch out
Please log it when you throw it out, not from memory at the end of the night. Nobody gets in trouble for what's on the log.
Starts
Led by
(Chef or kitchen manager)
Questions to
Week 3 · Guests & revenue
We're starting our own guest list
Say this at pre-shift
With every order, we offer an emailed receipt, and our goal is 50 new sign-ups a week. The running count will be posted in the back.
What each of us does
Register staff
Offer an emailed receipt at checkout, and add the address only if the guest says yes.
Anyone at the counter
Point guests to the QR code on the counter and the receipt, and tell them what joining gets them.
Manager on duty
Keep the running count of new sign-ups posted in the back, so we all see the list grow.
Why we're doing it
Our own list means we can invite guests back ourselves, on the nights we most want a fuller room.
Watch out
Always ask before you add someone to the list, and if they say no, thank them and move on.
Starts
Led by
(GM)
Questions to
Week 4 · Labor & overhead
We're switching off what nobody is using
Say this at pre-shift
Rent and utilities are one of our biggest costs. For the next week we'll check what's left on at close, and switching it off goes on the closing checklist.
What each of us does
Closing team
Before you leave, switch off lights, equipment, heating or cooling that nobody is using, and tick it on the closing checklist.
Manager on duty
For one week, walk the building at close and write down anything left on with nobody using it.
Why we're doing it
Every bill we don't have to pay leaves more room for the things that matter, like hours and pay.
Watch out
Never switch off fridges, freezers or anything that keeps food safe. If you're not sure, leave it on and ask.
Starts
Led by
(Owner)
Questions to

Your 12 answers

Service format (Healthy): Café or coffee shop (Drinks lead, with pastries and light food)
Monthly sales (Healthy): $25,000 – $60,000 ($300K – $720K a year)
Prime cost (self-reported) (Watch): I don't track it regularly
Recipe costing (Leak): Rarely (Prices are set by feel or by competitors)
Waste tracking (Leak): A rough estimate during weekly inventory
Drink pour control (Healthy): We don't serve alcohol
Labor flexing (Leak): Everyone works their scheduled shift anyway
Occupancy cost (Watch): More than 12%
Delivery app share (Healthy): Under 15% (With higher app prices to cover fees)
How busy you are (Opportunity): Busy lunches, slow dinners
Guest follow-up (Opportunity): Social media and walk-ins only
Public rating (Healthy): 4.5 – 5.0 stars

Now check your own restaurant

Your answers, your grade and your biggest problem in money, free.

Start my free check

12 questions · about 45 seconds · no POS or bank logins

Step 1 · Free, about 45 seconds

The free result

What the free check shows right after the 12 answers. Every figure comes from the scoring model and the answers.

Grade D · At risk

A real share of your sales looks to be lost every month to avoidable costs.

9 of the 12 answers need attention. The grade covers costs; the answers about sales don't change it.

You

ABCDF

Less money lostMore money lost

Estimated profit leak

$2,340–$5,150 a month

or $28,080–$61,800 a year

Estimated from the answers and the sales range, not from the books.

Biggest of 4 leaks: Commissions eating app orders, about $900–$1,800 a month.

Day 1 of the plan

Price your delivery menu to cover the commission

The 10 scored answers

Tap one to see why it was scored that way.

Empty seats Monday to ThursdayOpportunity$900–$2,250/mo
Opportunity. Rent, staff and utilities cost the same on a quiet Tuesday. Weekend nights are carrying the whole week.
Commissions eating app ordersLeak$900–$1,800/mo
Leak. The apps take a commission of 15–30% of each order, depending on the plan, before any promotions or marketing. At regular menu prices that can wipe out your profit on the order. App pricing and direct ordering recover part of it.
Paying to reach the same guests againOpportunity$720–$1,600/mo
Opportunity. Ads bring guests in once; without capturing their contact you pay again to bring them back.
Recipes only costed when the menu changesLeak$540–$1,150/mo
Leak. Ingredient costs keep rising after launch while menu prices stay put, so your best sellers earn less every month.
Kitchen waste isn't trackedLeak$450–$1,100/mo
Leak. What goes in the bin is food you've already paid for. Untracked, nobody can see how much it adds to your food cost.
Overtime above 8% of hoursLeak$450–$1,100/mo
Leak. Overtime costs 1.5× per hour. Above 8% of hours it usually signals scheduling gaps, not a real need for more staff.
Rating just below 4.5 starsWatch$270–$720/mo
Watch. Diners can filter search results by star rating, so a few tenths of a star can decide whether you show up.
Prime cost may be above targetWatch
Watch. Your answer, 58–64%, may be over the 60% ceiling for your format. A supplier price increase or a slow month would push it further.
Occupancy cost may be above your format's rangeWatch
Watch. Your format usually runs 6–10% of sales on occupancy, and your answer goes up to 12%. Higher sales per square foot is the main lever.
No alcohol pour riskHealthy
Healthy. No bar program means no over-pour or bar shrink to control.

By area

Grade C: Prime cost58–64% vs a 60% target
Grade D: Kitchen & food cost2 leaks · $990–$2,250 a month
Grade C: Labor & overhead1 leak · $450–$1,100 a month · rent may be above your range
Grade C: Delivery1 leak · $900–$1,800 a month
Guests & revenue (not graded)$1,890–$4,570 a month in sales you could add

What changes if…

Example pizza counter's answer on delivery app share: “15% – 35% (At regular menu prices)”

What if it were: “None (Dine-in and our own ordering only)”?

Grade: D · At risk
Estimated loss to avoidable costs: $2,340–$5,150 a month

With the change: grade C, $1,440–$3,350 a month. Scored by the same model as the free check.

Step 2 · $9.99, paid once

The full report

Profit diagnostic

Example pizza counter

Prepared October 27, 2026Example restaurant, not a real businessQuick service

Grade D · At risk

Delivery commissions on regular menu prices are your biggest money problem.

Selling between 15% and 35% of orders on delivery apps at regular prices can wipe out your order profit. Recasting recipes only when the menu changes may allow unnoticed ingredient price hikes to cut your dish margins.

By area

Grade C: Prime cost58–64% vs a 60% target
Grade D: Kitchen & food cost2 leaks · $990–$2,250 a month
Grade C: Labor & overhead1 leak · $450–$1,100 a month · rent may be above your range
Grade C: Delivery1 leak · $900–$1,800 a month
Guests & revenue (not graded)$1,890–$4,570 a month in sales you could add

Start here today

Day 1: Price your delivery menu to cover the commission

First step: From last month's payout statements, work out what each app really takes: (menu sales before tax and tips − your payout without tax and tips) ÷ menu sales. That includes marketing fees, promotions and refunds, not just the headline commission.

Who: OwnerTime: 1 hour

Goes after “Commissions eating app orders”, which costs you about $30–$60 a day.

See your 72-hour action plan

Recoverable profit leak

$2,340–$5,150

Per month · $28,080–$61,800 a year

About $80–$170 a day

Prime cost

58–64%

Target ≤ 60% · your figure

Revenue upside

$1,890–$4,570

Per month · from seats, guests and rating

Where the money is going

Estimated per month, biggest first. Solid bar: low estimate. Light bar: high estimate.

Profit leaks

Commissions eating app orders
$900–$1,800 / month
Delivery
Fix: Day 1: Price your delivery menu to cover the commission
The apps take a commission of 15–30% of each order, depending on the plan, before any promotions or marketing. At regular menu prices that can wipe out your profit on the order. App pricing and direct ordering recover part of it.
Recipes only costed when the menu changes
$540–$1,150 / month
Kitchen & food cost
Fix: Day 2: Re-cost your best sellers at today's prices
Ingredient costs keep rising after launch while menu prices stay put, so your best sellers earn less every month.
Kitchen waste isn't tracked
$450–$1,100 / month
Kitchen & food cost
Fix: Week 2: Start a waste log on the line tonight
What goes in the bin is food you've already paid for. Untracked, nobody can see how much it adds to your food cost.
Overtime above 8% of hours
$450–$1,100 / month
Labor & overhead
Fix: Day 3: Stop overtime on the schedule, not the paycheck
Overtime costs 1.5× per hour. Above 8% of hours it usually signals scheduling gaps, not a real need for more staff.

Revenue upside

Empty seats Monday to Thursday
$900–$2,250 / month
Guests & revenue
Fix: Week 3: Give guests one reason to come on your slowest night
Rent, staff and utilities cost the same on a quiet Tuesday. Weekend nights are carrying the whole week.
Paying to reach the same guests again
$720–$1,600 / month
Guests & revenue
Fix: Week 3: Capture every guest your ads bring in
Ads bring guests in once; without capturing their contact you pay again to bring them back.
Rating just below 4.5 stars
$270–$720 / month
Guests & revenue
Fix: Week 4: Ask every guest for a Google review
Diners can filter search results by star rating, so a few tenths of a star can decide whether you show up.

Your 72-hour plan goes after $1,890–$4,050 of the $2,340–$5,150 a month in profit leaks. Weeks 2 to 4 go after the rest. Your roadmap goes after the $1,890–$4,570 a month in extra sales, starting in week 2.

Section 1

Prime cost check

Prime cost vs target

58–64% · target ≤ 60%

Your 58–64% runs up to 4 points over your 60% target.

Costing recipes only when the menu changes and leaving kitchen waste untracked likely drive up your food costs. Running common overtime at more than 8% of hours can inflate your labor expenses.

At our working figure for your sales ($90,000 a month), each point of food, drink or labor cost is worth $900 a month, or $10,800 a year.

Benchmarks for your format compared with your answers
Metric	Target	Your answer
Prime cost (food, drink + labor)Self-reported 58–64%	≤ 60%	Self-reported 58–64%
Food & beverage costRecipes: only when the menu changes	26–32%	Recipes: only when the menu changes
LaborOvertime is common	26–31%	Overtime is common
Occupancy8% – 12%	≤ 10%	8% – 12%

Section 2

Your biggest problems

1.Commissions eating app orders
$900–$1,800 / mo
You sell between 15% and 35% of your food through delivery apps at regular dine-in prices. App commissions can erase your entire margin on those sales.
Your fix: Day 1 · Price your delivery menu to cover the commission
2.Infrequent recipe costing
$540–$1,150 / mo
You cost recipes only when your menu changes. Rising ingredient prices between menu updates can silently cut the profit on your best sellers.
Your fix: Day 2 · Re-cost your best sellers at today's prices
3.Untracked kitchen waste
$450–$1,100 / mo
Your kitchen does not track food tossed in the bin. Unmonitored waste can quietly push your food costs higher without anyone noticing.
Your fix: Week 2 · Start a waste log on the line tonight

Section 3

What's working, what needs fixing, what to stop

The short version: what to keep doing, what needs fixing, and the habits to drop.

What's working

No alcohol pour risk

What needs fixing

Commissions eating app orders
Leak · $900–$1,800 a monthFix: Day 1: Price your delivery menu to cover the commission
Recipes only costed when the menu changes
Leak · $540–$1,150 a monthFix: Day 2: Re-cost your best sellers at today's prices
Kitchen waste isn't tracked
Leak · $450–$1,100 a monthFix: Week 2: Start a waste log on the line tonight
Overtime above 8% of hours
Leak · $450–$1,100 a monthFix: Day 3: Stop overtime on the schedule, not the paycheck
Empty seats Monday to Thursday
Opportunity · $900–$2,250 a monthFix: Week 3: Give guests one reason to come on your slowest night
Paying to reach the same guests again
Opportunity · $720–$1,600 a monthFix: Week 3: Capture every guest your ads bring in
Rating just below 4.5 stars
Watch · $270–$720 a monthFix: Week 4: Ask every guest for a Google review
Prime cost may be above target
WatchFix: Week 2: Work out your prime cost every Monday
Occupancy cost may be above your format's range
WatchFix: Week 4: Know your rent share and plan for your lease

What to stop

Selling on the apps at your dining room prices.
Costing recipes only when the menu changes.
Throwing food away without writing it down.
Covering gaps with overtime.
Leaving your slowest night without a reason to come in.
Paying for ads without keeping the guests they bring in.
Letting your rating sit just under the top without a plan to lift it.
Letting prime cost run at or above your target.
Letting rent take more of your sales than usual for your type of restaurant, without a plan for it.

Section 4

Your 72-hour action plan

One fix a day, biggest single leak first. No new software, no new hires.

Day 1 · Delivery

$900–$1,800 / mo

Price your delivery menu to cover the commission

Who: OwnerTime: 1 hour

You sell between 15% and 35% of orders through apps at regular prices, meaning app fees erode margins.

From last month's payout statements, work out what each app really takes: (menu sales before tax and tips − your payout without tax and tips) ÷ menu sales. That includes marketing fees, promotions and refunds, not just the headline commission.
Raise app prices to cover it: your in-house price ÷ (1 − that rate) is the break-even app price. Most apps let you set prices separately from your dining room.
Take dishes that travel badly or earn little off the app menus, and put your highest-profit dishes and add-ons first.
Check whether each app offers a lower-commission plan. Some trade a smaller delivery area for a lower fee, which can pay off when most orders come from nearby.

Expected impact:: Pricing your delivery menu to cover commissions goes after an estimated $900–$1,800 a month lost to app fees.
How you'll know it's working:: Next month's payout statements show more kept per order while order counts hold roughly steady.
Watch out:: Don't fund app promotions such as buy-one-get-one without checking the payout. Many cost more than the order earns.

Team card

Day 2 · Kitchen & food cost

$540–$1,150 / mo

Re-cost your best sellers at today's prices

Who: Chef or kitchen managerTime: 2 hours

Costing recipes only when menus change means unnoticed ingredient price increases hurt current margins.

Add up the last four weeks of invoices by ingredient and list the 10 you spend the most on. Proteins, dairy, cooking oil and produce usually top the list.
Update those 10 prices in your existing recipe costs, then recalculate the 10 dishes you sell most.
Compare each dish's food cost now with when the menu launched, and give any dish that has crept up one fix: a tighter portion, a cheaper ingredient or a price change.
Book a 30-minute re-cost of those 10 ingredients every month, on the day your supplier statement arrives, so the next price rise can't hide until the next menu.

Expected impact:: Re-costing your top sellers goes after an estimated $540–$1,150 a month lost to outdated dish costs.
How you'll know it's working:: Within 30 days, the dishes that crept up have a fix in place, weekly food cost moves toward your 26–32% target, and the monthly re-cost is on the calendar.
Watch out:: Check each invoice line against the price you were quoted. Supplier price creep shows up line by line, not in the quote.

Team card

Day 3 · Labor & overhead

$450–$1,100 / mo

Stop overtime on the schedule, not the paycheck

Who: GMTime: 1 hour, then 10 minutes a day

Running overtime above 8% of hours means your schedule creates premium payroll costs every pay period.

From the last two pay periods, list everyone who went over 40 hours in a week and why: doubles, covering call-outs, or clocking in early and out late.
Before posting next week's schedule, total each person's hours and keep full-timers at 38 or fewer, leaving room for a late close.
Set a clock rule: no clocking in more than five minutes before a shift without a manager's OK. Check the time report every morning.
Offer extra shifts to part-timers who want hours before anyone close to 40, and train a second person on each station so a call-out doesn't become a double.

Expected impact:: Capping overtime on the schedule goes after an estimated $450–$1,100 a month lost to premium hourly rates.
How you'll know it's working:: Overtime hours fall each pay period, and nobody is scheduled over 38 hours.
Watch out:: Never fix overtime with off-the-clock work; it's illegal. Some states, such as California, also require overtime after 8 hours in a day.

Team card

Section 5

Your 30-day roadmap

Every fix your answers call for, one week at a time. Weeks 2 to 4 hold the fixes the 72-hour plan has no room for.

At a glance

Week 1Days 1–7
Days 4–7: keep all three fixes going, and check each one against its “How you’ll know it’s working” line.
Week 2Days 8–14
- Work out your prime cost every MondayOwner or GM · 30 minutes a week
- Start a waste log on the line tonightChef or kitchen manager, with the closing cook · 15 minutes to set up, 5 minutes each close
Week 3Days 15–21
- Give guests one reason to come on your slowest nightOwner or GM · 1 hour to plan
- Capture every guest your ads bring inOwner · 1 hour
Week 4Days 22–30
- Ask every guest for a Google reviewGM and front-of-house staff · 30 minutes to set up
- Know your rent share and plan for your leaseOwner · 1 hour, then 15 minutes a month
Days 28–30: compare your tracking sheet with its targets, and re-check your grade in your report. Whatever is still off is where to start next month.

Weeks 2 to 4 in full

Week 2 · Days 8–14

Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
Work out your prime cost every Monday
Who: Owner or GMTime: 30 minutes a week
Goes after “Prime cost may be above target”
1. Add up last week's food and drink invoices, Monday to Sunday. If stock levels stayed about the same, purchases are a fair stand-in for what you used.
2. Add up last week's labor: gross wages from payroll or the time clock, plus the employer taxes and benefits on your payroll report.
3. Add the two totals and divide by last week's net sales from your POS. That's your prime cost; your target is 60% or less.
4. Write the number on a sheet in the office and repeat every Monday. Four weeks show which half is creeping: hold food and drink against 26–32% of sales and labor against 26–31%, and fix the half over its range first.
How you'll know it's working:
You have four Monday numbers in a row, and you know which half, food or labor, moves when prime cost rises.
Watch out:
Count invoices by delivery date, not payment date. Paying a big bill late makes one week look great and the next look terrible.
Team card for Work out your prime cost every Monday
Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
$450–$1,100 / mo
Start a waste log on the line tonight
Who: Chef or kitchen manager, with the closing cookTime: 15 minutes to set up, 5 minutes each close
Goes after “Kitchen waste isn't tracked”
1. Tape a waste sheet by the bins with four columns: item, amount, reason (over-prep, spoiled, dropped, trim or sent back) and initials. Everything that goes in the bin gets a line, even half a pan.
2. At close, the closing cook totals the sheet and the chef signs it. Keep the week's sheets together.
3. After three days, put a rough cost on each line from your invoices and rank the items. Lower the prep amount (par) for the three most over-prepped items.
4. Once a shift for a week, look in the bins before they're emptied. Whole portions and usable trim show you exactly what to fix.
For your type of restaurant: Log food thrown out after its holding time (fries, patties, fried chicken) as its own reason. It's often the biggest waste line in quick service, and smaller batches in slow hours fix it.
Donate what's left: Lower your pars first, so less is left at close. For good food that's still left, book a regular pickup with a local food rescue group, where one collects near you, so you can send it to people who need it instead of the bin. Donate only food that was never served and was kept cold or hot, or cooled quickly by the safety rules.
Who may pick up near you, and the safety rules: https://restaurantdoctorai.com/guides/restaurant-food-donation
How you'll know it's working:
The sheet is filled in and signed every day, and the cost of logged waste falls week over week.
Watch out:
Never punish staff for what they log. If logging gets people in trouble, the waste stops being written down, not thrown out.
Team card for Start a waste log on the line tonight

Week 3 · Days 15–21

Week 3 · Guests & revenue
$900–$2,250 / mo
Give guests one reason to come on your slowest night
Who: Owner or GMTime: 1 hour to plan
Goes after “Empty seats Monday to Thursday”
1. From the last four weeks in your POS, find your slowest weeknight by covers.
2. Create one offer for that night only, built on your highest-profit dishes: a set two-course price, a neighborhood night or a family deal. Avoid a discount on the whole menu.
3. Tell your best audience first, your weekend guests: register staff mention it when they take the order, and it goes on your Google Business Profile, social pages and any guest list you have.
4. Put the offer on your own ordering pages too, and count how many sell each week.
For your type of restaurant: Use a family or group bundle for that evening, pushed through your own ordering channels, rather than a dine-in event.
How you'll know it's working:
Covers on that night rise over four weeks, and the average check holds because the offer is built on high-profit dishes.
Watch out:
Keep staffing lean on that night until covers actually grow, so the offer doesn't add labor before it adds sales.
Team card for Give guests one reason to come on your slowest night
Week 3 · Guests & revenue
$720–$1,600 / mo
Capture every guest your ads bring in
Who: OwnerTime: 1 hour
Goes after “Paying to reach the same guests again”
1. Turn on emailed receipts or guest profiles in your POS so every guest, including the ones your ads bring in, lands on your own list.
2. Make your ad offer something guests claim by joining your list, so each ad-driven visit adds a contact you can invite back for free.
3. Pause any ad you can't connect to covers or redemptions, and hold that budget until the list is growing.
4. Send your first email to the new list, inviting guests back on your slowest night.
How you'll know it's working:
Each ad now adds contacts to your list, and ad spend per cover falls.
Watch out:
Ask before adding anyone to your list, include an unsubscribe link in every email, and only text guests who agreed in writing to marketing texts.
Team card for Capture every guest your ads bring in

Week 4 · Days 22–30

Week 4 · Guests & revenue
$270–$720 / mo
Ask every guest for a Google review
Who: GM and front-of-house staffTime: 30 minutes to set up
Goes after “Rating just below 4.5 stars”
1. Copy your review link from your Google Business Profile and print it as a QR code on the receipt, plus a card on the counter or the takeout bag.
2. Train your register staff to mention it to every guest the same way at the register: "If you have a minute, a Google review helps us a lot." Never ask only the guests who loved it, and never press: Google's rules ban both.
3. Reply to every review from the last 60 days: thank the good ones specifically, and answer the critical ones calmly with what you've changed.
4. Read your last 20 reviews under 4 stars and fix the most repeated complaint, so new reviews stop mentioning it.
How you'll know it's working:
New Google reviews arrive every week, and your average climbs toward 4.5 over the next few months.
Watch out:
Never offer discounts or freebies for reviews, never ask only the guests you think are happy, and don't ask for Yelp reviews at all. All three break platform rules and can get reviews removed.
Team card for Ask every guest for a Google review
Week 4 · Labor & overhead
Know your rent share and plan for your lease
Who: OwnerTime: 1 hour, then 15 minutes a month
Goes after “Occupancy cost may be above your format's range”
1. Add up last month's rent, any charges on top of rent (such as service charges or property taxes) and utilities, and divide by last month's net sales. That's your occupancy cost; for your type of restaurant it should be 10% or less.
2. Work out the sales that would bring it to 10%: last month's occupancy cost ÷ 0.10. The gap to your real sales shows how far sales, not cost cuts, would have to move to bring rent back into range.
3. Find your lease's renewal date, notice period and any rent review, and put them in your calendar. If renewal is within a year, talk to your landlord early and get professional advice before you sign.
4. For one week, walk the building at close and list the lights, equipment, heating or cooling left on with nobody using them. Add switching them off to the closing checklist.
How you'll know it's working:
You know your occupancy cost as a share of sales every month, your lease dates are in the calendar, and nothing is left running at close.
Watch out:
Don't cut staff or hours to make rent look smaller. Rent rarely moves month to month, so the levers are more sales from the same space, lower utility bills and better terms at renewal.
Team card for Know your rent share and plan for your lease

Section 6

Your 30-day tracking sheet

The numbers that tell you whether the fixes are working. Targets are set for your type of restaurant.

Prime cost

Weekly

(Food & drink purchases used + total labor incl. payroll taxes) ÷ sales

Start: 58–64% (your figure)

Target: ≤ 60%

Food & beverage cost

Weekly

(Opening inventory + purchases − closing inventory) ÷ food & drink sales

Target: 26–32%

Labor cost

Weekly

Total labor incl. payroll taxes ÷ sales

Target: 26–31%

Sales per labor hour

Every shift

Sales ÷ total staff hours worked

Target: Set a floor per shift and cut to it

Occupancy cost

Monthly

(Rent + property charges + utilities) ÷ sales

Target: ≤ 10%

Delivery margin

Monthly

(App sales − commissions − packaging) ÷ app sales

Target: Above your in-house margin

For your fixes

Day 1 · Price your delivery menu to cover the commission

Monthly

Kept per order after app fees

Payout from all app statements ÷ number of orders. Also write the order count, to see it held steady.

Target: Rises on next month's statements while order counts hold roughly steady

Your starting number

Day 2 · Re-cost your best sellers at today's prices

Weekly

Crept-up dishes still without a fix

Compare each best seller's food cost now with when the menu launched. Count the dishes that crept up and have no fix yet.

Target: None: every dish that crept up has a fix within 30 days

Day 3 · Stop overtime on the schedule, not the paycheck

Weekly

Overtime hours on the time clock

Add up everyone's overtime hours from the time clock this week. Count anyone scheduled into overtime next week.

Target: Falls each pay period, and nobody is scheduled into overtime

Week 2 · Start a waste log on the line tonight

Weekly

Days this week the sheet was signed

Count the days the waste sheet was filled in and signed at close. Then write the week's waste cost beside it, priced from invoices.

Target: Every day, and the cost of logged waste falls week over week

Week 3 · Give guests one reason to come on your slowest night

Weekly

Covers on your slowest night

Read that night's covers from your POS. Also write the average check, to see it holds.

Target: Covers rise over four weeks, and the average check holds

Your starting number

Week 3 · Capture every guest your ads bring in

Weekly

Ad spend per cover

This week's ad spend ÷ guests who claimed the ad offer. Also count the new contacts your ads added to your list.

Target: Falls each week, and every ad adds contacts to your list

Week 4 · Ask every guest for a Google review

Weekly

New Google reviews this week

Count the Google reviews posted since last Monday. Also write your current average rating.

Target: New reviews every week, and your average climbs toward 4.5

Week 4 · Know your rent share and plan for your lease

Weekly

Nights something was left running

Count the nights this week the closing walk found anything left on with nobody using it.

Target: None, and switching off is on the closing checklist

Want it on paper? Your report's PDF ends with this sheet, with boxes to fill in each week, ready to print.

Section 7

Find your real numbers

Our figures are estimates from your 12 answers. These swap an estimate for your own number, using what you already have: invoices, your payroll report and your POS.

Your real prime cost

Prime cost is food, drink and labor together, as a share of sales. If your stock stayed about the same, purchases are a fair stand-in for what you used.

ALast week's food and drink invoices, by delivery dateBLast week's labor: gross wages plus payroll taxesCLast week's net sales from your POS

Your prime cost = (A + B) ÷ C

–Target: 60% or less

Your real rent share

This is the share of your sales that goes to the building. Use one full month.

ALast month's rentBLast month's charges on top of rent, such as service charges or property taxesCLast month's utilitiesDLast month's net sales from your POS

Your rent share of sales = (A + B + C) ÷ D

–Target: 10% or less

Scale the estimates to your real sales

Every money figure in this report uses monthly sales of $90,000, our working figure for your answer ($60,000 – $120,000). If your real sales are different, scale the figures to match.

Your real monthly sales

Write your real monthly sales.
Divide them by $90,000. The answer is your scale number.
Multiply each money figure in this report by your scale number.

Nothing you type here is saved or sent anywhere. It stays on this page.

Section 8

Day 30: re-check your grade

On day 30, update any answer that has changed since you started. Your grade and estimates are worked out again with the same formulas.

How much of your sales come through DoorDash, Uber Eats or similar apps?

You answered: 15% – 35% (At regular menu prices)

How often do you update recipe costs with current supplier prices?

You answered: Only when the menu changes

How do you track kitchen waste and spoilage?

You answered: We don't track it

When a shift gets slow, what happens to staffing?

You answered: Overtime is common (More than 8% of hours)

How full is your dining room across the week?

You answered: Packed on weekends, quiet midweek

How do you bring guests back?

You answered: Paid ads, but no guest list of our own

What's your average rating on Google and Yelp?

You answered: 4.0 – 4.4 stars

What share of sales goes to rent, property costs and utilities?

You answered: 8% – 12%

DAt risk

$2,340–$5,150

$1,890–$4,570

8 of 8 flagged answers still flagged

This shows where your answers stand, not your results. Your tracking sheet shows the results, including prime cost. Nothing you choose here is saved or sent.

Your printable worksheets

Blank sheets ready to print: one for your menu, and one for each fix in your plan that needs one.

Daily waste log
Write a line for everything that goes in the bin, even half a pan. Weigh or count it as you throw it out, not from memory at the end of the night.
Columns: Item · Amount · Reason · Initials
Best-seller plate costs
List your 10 best sellers and write each plate cost from your latest invoices. Divide plate cost by menu price to see which dishes need a fix.
Columns: Dish · Menu price · Plate cost · Plate cost ÷ price · Fix
Your menu: popular and profitable
From the last 30 days of item sales, write each dish's number sold and its price minus plate cost. Sort by total profit.
Columns: Dish · Number sold · Profit per plate · Total profit · Popular? · Profitable?
Top ingredient price log
At every delivery, write the unit price of your top 10 ingredients next to the last price paid. Check each invoice line against the price you were quoted.
Columns: Date · Ingredient · Price today · Last price paid · Change (%)
Overtime review list
From the last two pay periods, list everyone who worked overtime and why. Then fix each cause on next week's schedule.
Columns: Name · Pay period · Overtime hours · Why · Fix
Left on at close
For one week, walk the building at close. Write down anything left on with nobody using it, and what you did about it.
Columns: Date · Area · What was left on · Switched off? · Added to checklist?
Real delivery app rate
From last month's payout statement for each app, work out what it really takes, including marketing fees, promotions and refunds. Menu sales are before tax and tips.
Columns: App · Menu sales · Payout · Real rate · 1 − real rate
Slowest night covers
Find your slowest weeknight by covers in the POS. Fill the first four rows from your last four weeks, then add one row each week after the offer starts.
Columns: Week of · Covers · Average check · Offers sold
Ad guests joining your list
Each week, write what your ads cost and how many guests claimed the offer by joining your list.
Columns: Week of · Ad spend · Offers claimed · New contacts · Spend per cover
Weekly Google reviews
Each week, write how many guests you asked, how many new Google reviews came in and your average rating.
Columns: Week of · Guests asked · New reviews · Average rating · Replies sent

Tell your team

Fixes stick when the team knows why. Print a card, pin it where your team will see it, and read its “Say this” line aloud at pre-shift.

Day 1 · Delivery
We're changing what we sell on delivery apps
Say this at pre-shift
The owner is updating our delivery app menus. Dishes that travel badly or earn little are coming off, and the dishes that work best for us go first.
What each of us does
Kitchen crew
A few dishes are coming off the app menus. The manager will tell you which, so you know what to expect.
Front of house
If a guest asks about a dish missing from the apps, it's still on our menu here.
Why we're doing it
Delivery apps take a cut of every order, so choosing which dishes we send them helps the whole place.
Watch out
Please check with the owner before saying yes to any app promotion, such as buy-one-get-one.
Starts
Led by
(Owner)
Questions to
Day 2 · Kitchen & food cost
We're checking what our dishes cost now
Say this at pre-shift
The chef is checking our best sellers against today's ingredient prices. That happens in the office, so your part is small.
What each of us does
Whoever takes deliveries
Keep every invoice and hand it to the chef, so prices can be checked.
Everyone on the line
If a dish gets a tighter portion or a different ingredient, plate it the new way from then on.
Chef
Re-check the prices of our 10 biggest ingredients every month, when the supplier statement arrives.
Why we're doing it
Ingredient prices creep up a little at a time. Checking often means a rise can't hide from us.
Watch out
Please don't bin an invoice, even a small one. Each line on it is how we spot a price rise.
Starts
Led by
(Chef or kitchen manager)
Questions to
Day 3 · Labor & overhead
We're planning hours ahead to avoid overtime
Say this at pre-shift
From now on we plan the schedule so nobody goes into overtime, with room for a late close. Please clock in no more than five minutes early unless a manager says OK.
What each of us does
Everyone working
Clock in no more than five minutes before your shift, unless a manager says OK.
Part-timers
Tell the manager if you want more hours. Extra shifts are offered to part-timers before anyone close to overtime.
Anyone being cross-trained
Learn the extra station you're shown. With a second person on each station, a call-out doesn't turn into a double.
Manager
Total everyone's hours before posting the schedule, and look over the clock-in times each morning.
Why we're doing it
Planning hours ahead means fewer doubles and an easier time covering a call-out.
Watch out
Please never work off the clock to keep hours down. If you're needed before or after your shift, tell a manager.
Starts
Led by
(GM)
Questions to
Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
We're adding up last week's costs every Monday
Say this at pre-shift
Every Monday we add up last week's food, drink and labor costs. That happens in the office, and your part is two small things.
What each of us does
Whoever takes deliveries
Write the date it arrived on every invoice.
Everyone on shift
Clock in and out at your real times.
Why we're doing it
The weekly numbers are only as good as the dates and hours behind them.
Watch out
Please write the day the delivery arrived, not the day the bill gets paid. Then one week won't look better or worse than it was.
Starts
Led by
(Owner or GM)
Questions to
Week 2 · Kitchen & food cost
We're logging everything we throw out
Say this at pre-shift
From tonight, anything that goes in the bin gets a line on the waste sheet by the bins. It's quick, and it helps us prep the right amount.
What each of us does
Everyone on the line
Write what you threw out, how much, why, and your initials on the sheet.
Closing cook
Add up the sheet at close and hand it to the chef to sign.
Chef
After three days, lower the prep amount for the three items thrown out most.
Why we're doing it
We can only prep the right amount if we know what ends up in the bin.
Watch out
Log the small stuff too, like half a pan. Nobody gets in trouble for what's on the sheet.
Starts
Led by
(Chef or kitchen manager, with the closing cook)
Questions to
Week 3 · Guests & revenue
We're filling our slowest night together
Say this at pre-shift
We're giving guests one reason to order on our slowest weeknight: a family or group deal through our own ordering. I'll go over the offer with you now.
What each of us does
Register staff
When weekend guests order, mention the deal in one friendly sentence. Never a pitch.
Manager on duty
Put the deal on our own ordering pages, and count how many sell each week.
Why we're doing it
Slow nights feel long, so a few more orders on our quietest night makes the shift go faster.
Watch out
Please expect a small crew on that night until more guests come.
Starts
Led by
(Owner or GM)
Questions to
Week 3 · Guests & revenue
We're keeping the guests our ads bring in
Say this at pre-shift
We're keeping the guests our ads bring in, and your part is small. Offer an emailed receipt with every order, and help any guest who came for an ad offer join our list.
What each of us does
Register staff
Offer an emailed receipt with every order, and add the address only if the guest says yes.
Anyone at the counter
If a guest came for an offer from our ads, help them claim it by joining our list.
Why we're doing it
Ads bring new guests in once, but a guest on our list is one we can invite back whenever we like.
Watch out
Add a guest only when they say yes, and remember a friendly no thanks is always fine.
Starts
Led by
(Owner)
Questions to
Week 4 · Guests & revenue
We're asking every guest for a Google review
Say this at pre-shift
We're asking every guest for a Google review, the same way each time. We're putting a QR code where they can scan it. Mention it once, kindly, and never only to the guests who loved it.
What each of us does
Register staff
When you hand over the receipt, say to every guest: "If you have a minute, a Google review helps us a lot."
Anyone at the counter
If a guest asks how, point them to the QR code on the counter and the receipt.
Why we're doing it
New guests read reviews before they pick a place, and honest reviews from more of our guests help them choose us.
Watch out
Never offer anything for a review, and never ask only the happy guests. If a guest would rather not, thank them warmly and move on.
Starts
Led by
(GM and front-of-house staff)
Questions to
Week 4 · Labor & overhead
We're switching off what nobody is using
Say this at pre-shift
Rent and utilities are one of our biggest costs. For the next week we'll check what's left on at close, and switching it off goes on the closing checklist.
What each of us does
Closing team
Before you leave, switch off lights, equipment, heating or cooling that nobody is using, and tick it on the closing checklist.
Manager on duty
For one week, walk the building at close and write down anything left on with nobody using it.
Why we're doing it
Every bill we don't have to pay leaves more room for the things that matter, like hours and pay.
Watch out
Never switch off fridges, freezers or anything that keeps food safe. If you're not sure, leave it on and ask.
Starts
Led by
(Owner)
Questions to

Your 12 answers

Service format (Healthy): Quick service (Counter or kiosk, fast turnover)
Monthly sales (Healthy): $60,000 – $120,000 ($720K – $1.44M a year)
Prime cost (self-reported) (Watch): 58% – 64%
Recipe costing (Leak): Only when the menu changes
Waste tracking (Leak): We don't track it
Drink pour control (Healthy): We don't serve alcohol
Labor flexing (Leak): Overtime is common (More than 8% of hours)
Occupancy cost (Watch): 8% – 12%
Delivery app share (Leak): 15% – 35% (At regular menu prices)
How busy you are (Opportunity): Packed on weekends, quiet midweek
Guest follow-up (Opportunity): Paid ads, but no guest list of our own
Public rating (Watch): 4.0 – 4.4 stars

Now check your own restaurant

Your answers, your grade and your biggest problem in money, free.

Start my free check

12 questions · about 45 seconds · no POS or bank logins

How the grade and the dollar figures are worked out: our methodology

See a full result before you start

The free result

The full report

Start here today

Where the money is going

Prime cost check

Work out your real prime cost

Your biggest problems

What's working, what needs fixing, what to stop

What's working

What needs fixing

What to stop

Your 72-hour action plan

Your 30-day roadmap

At a glance

Weeks 2 to 4 in full

Week 2 · Days 8–14

Work out your prime cost every Monday

Log the small daily losses, not just spoiled cases

Week 3 · Days 15–21

Turn bar spot checks into a weekly pour cost

Email your list about your slowest night

Week 4 · Days 22–30

Ask every guest for a Google review

Your 30-day tracking sheet

For your fixes

Find your real numbers

Your real prime cost

Your real rent share

Your real pour cost

Scale the estimates to your real sales

Day 30: re-check your grade

Your printable worksheets

Daily waste log

Bottle count in tenths

Comp, spill and staff drinks

Best-seller plate costs

Your menu: popular and profitable

Top ingredient price log

Cut line and cut order

Slowest night covers

Email results count

Weekly Google reviews

Tell your team

We're posting the go-home order on the schedule

What each of us does

Why we're doing it

Watch out

We're checking what our dishes cost now

What each of us does

Why we're doing it

Watch out

We're filling our slowest night together

What each of us does

Why we're doing it

Watch out

We're adding up last week's costs every Monday

What each of us does

Why we're doing it

Watch out

We're logging the small stuff we throw out

What each of us does

Why we're doing it

Watch out

We're counting the whole bar every week

What each of us does

Why we're doing it

Watch out

We're emailing guests about our slowest night

What each of us does

Why we're doing it

Watch out

We're asking every guest for a Google review

What each of us does

Why we're doing it

Watch out

Your 12 answers

Now check your own restaurant

The free result

The full report