If you’re only looking at your numbers once a month, you’re already behind.
By the time your monthly financials come in, the damage is done. Margins are gone. Cash is tight. And you’re left wondering where things went wrong.
The most profitable restaurant owners don’t wait for monthly reports. They track a few key numbers every single week.
Not dozens. Not complicated dashboards.
Just five.
| Metric | Target Range | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Prime Cost | 55% – 65% | Tells you if you’re actually profitable |
| Food Cost % | 28% – 35% | Controls your menu margins |
| Labor Cost % | 25% – 35% | Your biggest controllable expense |
| Weekly Sales | Trend Up | Helps you plan and adjust quickly |
| Cash in Bank | Always Positive | Keeps your business alive |
Prime cost = food cost + labor cost
This is the single most important number in your business.
Why? Because it controls whether you’re profitable or not.
Target:
👉 55%–65% of revenue (depending on concept)
If your prime cost creeps above that range, your profits disappear fast.
What to watch weekly:
If you only track one number… make it this one.
You probably already look at this—but not often enough.
Food cost tells you how efficiently you’re turning inventory into revenue.
Formula:
Food Cost ÷ Total Sales
Target:
👉 Typically 28%–35% (varies by concept)
What to watch weekly:
Small changes here have a huge impact on profit.
Labor is your most controllable expense—and one of the easiest to let get out of hand.
Formula:
Labor Cost ÷ Total Sales
Target:
👉 Typically 25%–35%
What to watch weekly:
A slow Tuesday with a full staff can wipe out your margin for the day.
Revenue alone doesn’t tell the full story—but ignoring trends is a mistake.
You need to know:
What to watch weekly:
Sales trends help you make better staffing and purchasing decisions before problems hit.
This one sounds obvious—but too many owners avoid looking at it.
Profit on paper doesn’t matter if you don’t have cash to pay bills.
What to watch weekly:
Cash flow problems don’t show up overnight—they build quietly.
Tracking this weekly keeps you in control.
Most restaurant owners operate reactively.
They find out there’s a problem after the month ends… after the money is gone.
Tracking these five numbers weekly flips that.
You start catching issues early:
This is how profitable restaurants actually run.
Knowing these numbers is one thing.
Actually tracking them consistently—and accurately—is another.
Most owners:
So they guess.
And guessing is expensive.
At Lyons Ledger, we help restaurant and bar owners get clear, reliable numbers—so you can actually run your business with confidence.
If you’re not sure what your prime cost is… or you don’t trust your numbers… that’s exactly where we come in.
We’ll walk through your numbers together—and show you exactly where you’re making money (and where you’re losing it).
