# Kitchen labor as a % of sales...



## envirochef (Jul 15, 2008)

Traditionaly, is kitchen labor based on food sales only or bev as well?:crazy:?


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## jim berman (Oct 28, 1999)

I guess it would depend on what type of number you are looking to generate. I have, more often, used total labor divided by total sales for a labor cost. If you are able to break out the labor dollars for just the kitchen, then you could get a more accurate number in terms of labor/sales relationship.


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## oldschool1982 (Jun 27, 2006)

Okay now that I have the correct cost area in my mind.......Doohhh!!!!

Labor that is used to produce the food for the operation has been under the food sales for as long as I can remember. I guess in the scheme of things it really doesn't matter since it's all sales but somewhere down the line the powers that be decided it was easier to track them and hold the responsible department accountable. Personally I liked the way my labor costs looked off of total sales versus what it became under food sales. :look: I will add that if you're lucky enough to get soft beverage sales (i.e. coffee, tea, sodas) that's a bonus. I worked hard at getting those sales added to the food sales in every operation I went to where I had a say in the cost areas. Sometimes it is what it is though.

I've always understood it as costs, in this case food production, are based off of the % of sales that result from the efforts. Kinda like Bar Labor under Beverage sales and service labor based off of total sales. The kitchen staff doesn't work behind the bar mixing drinks and the Bar staff doesn't work in the kitchen making sauces so but the service staff has their hands in both deopartments........... It's all a game now and how it's played varies from ref to ref.:roll:


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## 24-7cook (Oct 29, 2007)

I agree with Old School, the one thing you want to address is what type of operation are you running. 

Bar & Grill
Fast Casual 
Casual 
Upscale 
Bistro 
Deli 
Buffet 
Fine Dining 

They all have different levels of acceptable labor percentage. 
Also look at what kind of promotional things you do that could impact your labor percentage.


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## Fayster69 (Mar 17, 2020)

24-7cook said:


> I agree with Old School, the one thing you want to address is what type of operation are you running.
> 
> Bar & Grill
> Fast Casual
> ...


I too like the numbers based on overall sales. We are a casual lake side place that does a banging bar business.my biggest problem is that i can't even do a productivity study to show that we are as skeleton a crew as we can get..the GM will not share sales records. I don't know how many covers or when or even what our food sales breaks down for each item. It is vety frustrating.


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

It doesn't matter what kind of food service you have. The food cost is figured on what foods are under your control and in inventory. Some food operations will have the beverage on the waitress line and inventoried and part of the food cost. Some dining rooms go to the bar for all the beverage.

It's also good good idea to break down your invoices for different costs associated with Paper, meat, produce and dairy. This way if your food cost is getting higher you can go back a few months and get an Idea of where the costs are rising.

If an item isn't broken out when inventoried it can never be controlled.


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## chefross (May 5, 2010)

As far as beverages go the most under your control would be coffee, tea, and soft drinks. Any alcohol falls under bar cost. Labor cost for bar and labor cost for the kitchen are two different animals.
Now I used to work for management that would use the bar, room service, and banquet costs to bring the numbers down in the kitchen, weather legal or not it worked well for my bonus.


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