Break-Even Point
How Many Customers Do You Need to Cover Costs and Profit?
Your break-even isn’t just “not losing money.” In our method, you plan for profit first and treat that profit goal as part of the target you must cover each month. That’s your profit-target break-even—the point where you’ve covered fixed costs plus the owner’s profit goal.
Check it first!
The Correct Math (with Food Cost Included)
Many examples online simply divide monthly costs by the ticket price. That’s wrong because ingredients (food cost) come out of every sale.
The right way is to use contribution margin per customer:
The right way is to use contribution margin per customer:
Average Ticket (P)
Food Cost % (f) — benchmark ≈ 35%
Contribution per customer = P × (1 − f)
Fixed Costs (F) = staff + general expenses
Profit Goal (G) = what the owner plans to earn this month (set first)Math for Restaurants
Customers needed = (F + G) ÷ [ P × (1 − f ) ]
Example (Fully Worked)
- Ticket P = $10
- Food Cost f = 35% → contribution/customer = $10 × (1−0.35) = $6.50
- Fixed Costs F = $12,250 (staff + general, from the benchmarked plan)
- Profit Goal G = $4,000 (set first per the framework)
Customers/month = (12,250 + 4,000) ÷ 6.50 = 16,250 ÷ 6.50 = 2,500
If you open ~20 days/month, that’s ~125 customers/day.
This aligns with the Math for Restaurant framewok: set profit, apply benchmarks, then compute what volume you truly need. Notice how the food-cost share shrinks your per-customer contribution to $6.50.
- Ticket P = $10
- Food Cost f = 35% → contribution/customer = $10 × (1−0.35) = $6.50
- Fixed Costs F = $12,250 (staff + general, from the benchmarked plan)
- Profit Goal G = $4,000 (set first per the framework)
Customers/month = (12,250 + 4,000) ÷ 6.50 = 16,250 ÷ 6.50 = 2,500
If you open ~20 days/month, that’s ~125 customers/day.
This aligns with the Math for Restaurant framewok: set profit, apply benchmarks, then compute what volume you truly need. Notice how the food-cost share shrinks your per-customer contribution to $6.50.
how it works?
What Moves the Break-Even Line
Raise Average Ticket → contribution per guest rises → fewer guests needed.
Lower Food Cost % (from 35% toward target) → contribution rises → break-even drops.
Trim Fixed Costs (staff/general) → fewer guests needed to clear F + G. RestaProfit quantifies these levers and shows the effect instantly.
Break-Even Point
How RestaProfit Helps (Daily, Automatically)
Don't waste time in useless dahsboards, inventory controls or sales reciipts to manage your business. Restaprofit bring this all together.
Calculates your profit-target break-even in real time
Updates instantly when ticket, food cost %, or fixed costs change
Warns early when you’re trending below target volume.
Coaches actions to get back above break-even—including your profit goal, not just survival.
The Bottom Line
Break-even isn’t the finish line—it’s the starting line. Plan for profit, then manage to it. RestaProfit keeps you on the math every day.
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