PROTECTING THE BOTTOM LINE

Real Financial Advice for Restaurant Operators

  • Restaurant Break-Even Analysis: Know Your Number Before You Panic

    Restaurant Break-Even Analysis: Know Your Number Before You Panic

    Most restaurant operators have a rough sense of whether they are making money. They know when it is a good week versus a bad one, when the books feel tight versus comfortable. What fewer can answer, without hesitation, is this: what does my restaurant need to do in sales every month just to break even?… Read more

  • How to Read a Restaurant P&L: Every Line Explained

    How to Read a Restaurant P&L: Every Line Explained

    The profit and loss statement is the single most important document in restaurant management. It is a financial snapshot — typically produced weekly, monthly, and annually — that tells you whether the business is working. And yet, for many operators, the P&L remains an uncomfortable document: something reviewed briefly at the end of the month,… Read more

  • The Real Math on Third-Party Delivery: What It Actually Costs You

    The Real Math on Third-Party Delivery: What It Actually Costs You

    Third-party delivery has reshaped the restaurant industry in ways that are still being fully understood. The platforms — DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and others — have made restaurant food more accessible to more customers than at any prior point in history. They have also, for many operators, created a channel that generates significant revenue while… Read more

  • Prime Cost: The One Number That Tells You If Your Restaurant Is Profitable

    Prime Cost: The One Number That Tells You If Your Restaurant Is Profitable

    In the restaurant industry, there is no shortage of metrics to track — food cost percentage, labor percentage, gross profit, net profit, occupancy ratio, and on down the list. Each of these tells part of the story. But if you could only track one number to understand the fundamental health of your restaurant, prime cost… Read more

  • Ideal Food Cost vs. Actual Food Cost: How Waste Is Quietly Killing Your Margins

    Ideal Food Cost vs. Actual Food Cost: How Waste Is Quietly Killing Your Margins

    The gap between your ideal and actual food cost is money you’re losing every week. Learn how to calculate waste percentage, identify the most common sources of variance, and close the gap without changing your menu or raising prices. Read more

  • Sales Per Labor Hour (SPLH): The One Labor Metric Every Restaurant Operator Needs

    Sales Per Labor Hour (SPLH): The One Labor Metric Every Restaurant Operator Needs

    Labor percentage alone only tells half the story. Sales Per Labor Hour (SPLH) connects your staffing decisions directly to revenue outcomes — and it’s one of the most actionable metrics in restaurant management. Read more