KPIs for Restaurants
These are the KPIs a restaurant owner or manager should track, from food cost to table turnover. Margins are thin, so small percentage changes in cost and covers matter.
The KPIs to track
Food cost percentage
Cost of the food and drink sold divided by food and drink sales, showing how much of each sale goes on ingredients.
Labour cost percentage
Total staff cost divided by sales, usually tracked per week and per shift.
Prime cost
Food and drink cost plus labour cost, the two biggest controllable costs, often expressed as a share of sales.
Average check
Total sales divided by the number of covers (guests) or checks in the period.
Table turnover
The number of parties seated at a table during a service period, calculated as covers or parties divided by tables.
Revenue per available seat hour (RevPASH)
Revenue divided by the number of seats multiplied by the hours they were available, which shows how well capacity is used.
Discount rate is the share of potential sales value given away through price reductions.
Formula and SQL query on the Discount Rate (Sales) page.
Reservation no-show rate
The share of booked reservations where the party did not arrive, calculated as no-shows divided by reservations.
Where the data usually lives
A point-of-sale system (sales, items, discounts), a reservations tool, a rota or payroll system and supplier invoices.
Measurement mistakes to avoid
- Comps, voids and staff meals should be handled consistently, or food cost and average check are not comparable between weeks.
- Food cost needs stock counts at both ends of the period; purchases alone mix up buying with using.
- Covers are counted differently by tools (per check or per guest); fix one definition before comparing.
Questions to ask your data
You can type these as plain questions. SchemaChat turns each one into SQL against your connected database or uploaded file, runs it, and shows the SQL and the figures it used so you can check the answer before you share it. Check that the result matches how your business defines each KPI.
- What was our food cost percentage by week this quarter?
- Which menu items have the highest and lowest margin?
- How does average check differ between lunch and dinner?
- What share of reservations were no-shows last month?