Free operator tools · by Ben Mouton, 36 years in restaurants
Prime cost is the one number that decides whether an independent restaurant makes money: COGS plus total labor, as a share of sales. Enter this week's figures and read it against real benchmarks.
| Prime cost | Full service | Quick service |
|---|---|---|
| Healthy | 55–60% | 50–55% |
| Watch closely | 60–65% | 55–60% |
| Losing money* | 65%+ | 62%+ |
| Check your pricing / staffing | under 50% | under 45% |
*Once occupancy (rent, utilities, insurance — typically 8–12% of sales) and operating costs land on top of a 65% prime cost, there is nothing left. That is why prime cost, not food cost alone, is the number consultants start with.
A monthly P&L is an autopsy. By the time it says labor ran 38%, the schedule that caused it happened three weeks ago. Operators who pull prime cost weekly catch the short case, the vendor price creep, and the over-scheduled Tuesday while the period can still be saved. That cadence — the number on Tuesday, not at month-close — is the entire difference between tracking and managing.
I do flat-fee audits for independent restaurants — your numbers, your website, what they're costing you, and a prioritized fix list back in 48 hours. $1,200, never hourly. First look is free.
Email Ben — first look freeThe Restaurant Consultant tracks prime cost from your actual invoices and schedule and warns you mid-week — plus training manuals from one button, menu margin by item, and review responses in your voice. Built by a 35-year operator, dishwasher to owner. Free to start; $10/month for everything.
See the full platform →Your total cost of goods sold (food and beverage purchases, adjusted for inventory change) plus total labor cost (wages, salaries, payroll taxes, benefits), as a percentage of sales.
55–60% of sales for full service; 50–55% for quick service. Above 65% the restaurant is usually losing money once occupancy and operating costs are added.
Weekly. Monthly is history; weekly is a decision you can still make.
Everything payroll: hourly, salaried management, payroll taxes, workers' comp, benefits. Skipping taxes and management salary is the most common way operators flatter themselves by five points.