Cost Control
How do you calculate restaurant food waste percentage?
Direct answer
Choose and label one denominator. For a purchasing-control view, divide recorded waste cost by food purchases; for a sales view, divide waste cost by food sales. Multiply by 100 and never compare reports that use different denominators.
Key points
- Waste % = Recorded Waste Cost / Chosen Denominator x 100.
- Record waste at ingredient or recipe cost, not menu price.
- Unlogged spoilage and over-portioning remain inside actual food-cost variance.
What to do next
- 1Log spoilage, prep loss, mistakes, and returned food at cost.
- 2Choose food purchases, food cost, or food sales as the documented denominator.
- 3Review waste by reason, item, station, shift, and manager before changing purchasing or prep.
Worked example
If recorded waste costs $480 and food purchases are $24,000, purchase-based waste is 480 / 24,000 x 100 = 2.0%.