Guides for running a restaurant by the numbers.
Plain-English how-tos for running a restaurant week to week: prime cost, menus, prep, par levels, labor, checklists, waste, certifications, guest email, reviews and catering. Worked examples you can use with a spreadsheet or with Ospelia.
How to calculate prime cost, and why to check it every week
The prime cost formula, a worked example with round numbers, and a simple weekly routine for catching food and labor costs before the month is over.
5 min read · P&L & prime cost, Labor trackingMenu engineering explained: stars, plowhorses, puzzles and dogs
How to sort your menu by popularity and contribution margin, what to do with each of the four classes, and a worked example you can copy.
5 min read · Menu engineering, Recipes & plate costHow to build a daily prep list from your sales forecast
Turn expected sales into ingredient quantities: forecast each item, multiply through your recipes, subtract what's on hand, and round to batches. Worked example included.
4 min read · Prep lists, Sales forecastSetting par levels and reorder points so the order writes itself
Par level and reorder point formulas for restaurant inventory, how to pick safety stock, and a worked example that turns a count into an order.
4 min read · Inventory, What to orderLabor cost percentage: how to schedule against the sales you expect
How to calculate labor cost percentage, turn a sales forecast into a labor budget and scheduled hours, and check the week against a target. Worked example included.
5 min read · Scheduling, Labor trackingAutomated restaurant emails: welcome, birthday and win-back flows
How to set up the three automated emails every restaurant can use: a welcome series, a birthday treat and a win-back for regulars who've drifted. Examples included.
5 min read · Automations, Email & text marketingWhat to put on restaurant opening and closing checklists
What belongs on a restaurant opening and closing checklist, how to write steps people actually follow, and how to check the lists get run every shift.
5 min read · Checklists, Shift notesHow to track and cost food waste in a restaurant
A simple way to log restaurant food waste, put a dollar cost on every entry, and use the patterns to cut what you throw out. Worked example included.
5 min read · Waste log, InventoryTracking food handler and allergen certifications for your team
How to keep a record of food handler, allergen, CPR and first aid certificates for your team, catch expiry dates early and build it into onboarding.
5 min read · Certifications, OnboardingHow to write a restaurant email that brings people back
Subject lines, one clear offer, when to send and how to measure the visits that follow. A practical guide to restaurant marketing emails that fill seats.
5 min read · Email & text marketing, Customers & loyaltyHow to answer online reviews, good and bad
How to reply to restaurant reviews, from five stars to one, what to say and what to avoid, and why you should ask every guest for a review, not just happy ones.
5 min read · Reviews & feedbackPlanning catering orders: quotes, deposits and prep
How to take a catering inquiry, price and quote it, take a deposit, and turn confirmed orders into a prep plan your kitchen can work from.
5 min read · Catering, Prep listsEvery example uses made-up round numbers, labelled as examples. Looking for how to use Ospelia itself? See the help center.
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