If you’re only watching one food-cost percentage, you’re managing an average that hides everything that matters.
What to do this week
Break your sales export into five menu categories — proteins, pasta/rice, salads, sides, desserts (or whatever fits your menu). Pull the food cost for each separately. Three things will jump out:
- One category is consistently 5–10 points above target. That’s where the leak is.
- One category is below target. Worth checking — sometimes that’s a portion-size issue customers will notice.
- Your highest-sold dish often has the worst GP%. Reprice or reformulate it before doing anything else.
Frequency
Monthly is enough once you’ve baselined. The first month always reveals at least one surprise.