Practical guides on inventory management, food cost control, and running a more profitable kitchen.
The average restaurant food cost percentage is 28-35% of revenue. See 2026 benchmarks by restaurant type, with sources, and learn how to set a target that fits your menu.
Read more →Inventory turnover measures how many times you sell through your stock in a period. Learn the formula, healthy benchmarks for food and beverage, and how to convert turnover into days on hand.
Read more →Theoretical food cost is what you should have used based on sales. Actual is what you really used. The gap between them is where your money leaks. Learn the formula, the benchmark, and how to find the cause.
Read more →Prime cost is the single most important number in your restaurant. Learn the formula, industry benchmarks, and how to calculate it weekly with real examples.
Read more →Nested packaging hierarchies make inventory harder. Here's the flat conversion model that's simpler to set up, easier to maintain, and more accurate.
Read more →Stores abbreviate and change receipt formats without warning. Here's how our four-layer matching system turns messy receipt text into accurate inventory data.
Read more →Most inventory apps give you a static checklist. Stockcount uses ABC classification and real-time signals to tell you exactly what to count each day.
Read more →A 4-part crash course for solo operators with no accounting team. Costs are up 35%, and here's how to stop bleeding money without losing your mind.
Read more →How to calculate food cost step by step: the food cost formula, the percentage calculation, per-plate costing, benchmarks, and common mistakes. A practical guide for restaurant and cafe operators.
Read more →How to count restaurant inventory efficiently. Covers frequency, best practices, common methods, and how to cut counting time in half.
Read more →Understand cost of goods sold for restaurants. Learn the COGS formula, actual vs theoretical COGS, and how to use it to make better decisions.
Read more →Learn how to calculate plate cost for every menu item. Includes real examples, menu engineering basics, and why most operators get this wrong.
Read more →Most restaurants know they should track food costs weekly but don't because it takes too long. Here's how AI removes the busywork for any size operation.
Read more →Get "The StockCount Mail"
A developer newsletter written by me, Jeremy. Short, occasional notes on food cost and counting.