Operator Tools

The numbers behind
running a restaurant.

Practical calculators built from the inside — by someone still running shifts. Start with the tools you need now. Work up to the ones that change how you make decisions.

What does something cost?
Dish, menu, wine, labour
What does my operation need?
Break-even, delegation
What does a decision cost me?
Site assessment, finance, scenario modelling
All tools
Each tool is free to use. Start with the question that is in front of you.
What does something cost?
Price a dish, a menu, a bottle, or your team correctly before anything goes on the list.
What does my operation need?
Understand whether the numbers work — for the room you have and the team running it.
What does a decision cost me?
Model the financial impact before you commit — a new site, a loan, a hire, a price rise, an extra service.
The thinking behind the tools
Notes on a Napkin
These tools come from the same thinking I write about every month — the economics of running a restaurant, with the working shown. What a dish actually costs. Why a margin matters. How you keep a good person from leaving. Free to read.
Read Notes on a Napkin →
Dish costingCost
IngredientCost (£)Priced perYield %Amount usedUnit
Portions from this batch
VAT
Add an ingredient with its cost and quantity to get started.
Total ingredient cost
£0.00
Ingredient cost per portion
£0.00
If I charge this...
Menu price (£)
Food cost %
—
Margin
—
What's the right price?
Target margin %
Menu price
—
Ex-VAT
—
What next
Break-evenCost
Monthly fixed costs (£)Rent, rates, insurance — costs that stay the same regardless of how busy you are.
Average spend per head (£)
Average food cost %
Average labour cost %
Covers to break even
—
Revenue to break even
—
Margin per cover
—
What next
Wine marginCost
Bottle cost to you (£)
VAT
Small — 125ml · 6 per bottle
Cost per glass: —
Target margin %
Ex-VAT
—
Menu price
—
Medium — 175ml · 4 per bottle
Cost per glass: —
Target margin %
Ex-VAT
—
Menu price
—
Large — 250ml · 3 per bottle
Cost per glass: —
Target margin %
Ex-VAT
—
Menu price
—
By the bottle
Bottle cost: —
Target margin %
Ex-VAT
—
Menu price
—
What next
Labour costOperations
Basic wages this period (£)Basic wages only. NI, holiday pay and pension added below.
Total revenue this period (£)Before VAT. Same period as your wages figure.
Labour cost %
—
Revenue per £1 labour
—

Add shifts for the week. The rota shows your projected labour cost and the revenue needed to sustain it.

Expected revenue this week (£)Before VAT. Used to calculate your projected labour %.
Include on-costs
RoleTypeDeptRate (£/hr) or salaryHoursCost
What next
DelegationOperations
Task
Your effective hourly rate (£)Salary or drawings divided by hours worked.
Your hours on this per week
Delegation cost per month (£)Staff cost, agency fee, or software subscription.
What next
Set menu pricingCost
CourseFood cost per head (£)
VAT
Add a course above to get started. Name each course and enter the food cost per head.
Food cost per head
£0.00
If I charge this...
Menu price per head (£)
Food cost %
—
Margin
—
What's the right price?
Target margin %
Ex-VAT
—
Menu price per head
—
What next
Site assessmentDecisions

What a space can generate at realistic occupancy — and whether the numbers work before you commit. Enter the site you are assessing, or use it to understand the ceiling on your current room.

Total seats in the room
Average spend per head (£)
Services per day — and covers per service
Mon
Closed
Tue
2 services
Wed
2 services
Thu
2 services
Fri
2 services
Sat
2 services
Sun
Closed
10 services per week · 5 days open
0 = closed. 1, 2, 3 = number of services. Each service below shows covers and table turns.
Maximum weekly covers
—
Modelled weekly covers
—
Monthly revenue
—
Annual revenue
—
Annual revenue per seat
—
Weekly revenue
—
Expected monthly fixed costs (£)Rent, rates, insurance, fixed salaries.
Average food cost %
Average labour cost %
Break-even occupancy
—
Break-even covers per week
—
What next
Loan and financeOperations
Loan amount (£)
Annual interest rate %Ask your lender for the APR. Business loans typically run 6–15%.
Term in months36 months = 3 years. 60 months = 5 years.
What next
Decision modellerDecisions
1
Baseline
2
Decision
3
Impact
Your operation
Monthly covers
Average spend per head (£)
Average food cost %
Monthly labour cost (£)Include NI, holiday pay and pension. Use the Labour tool.
Monthly fixed costs (£)Rent, rates, insurance — costs that stay the same regardless of how busy you are.