| Category | Amount | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Wages | $0.00 | 0% |
| Benefits | $0.00 | 0% |
| Payroll Taxes | $0.00 | 0% |
| Overtime | $0.00 | 0% |
| Other Expenses | $0.00 | 0% |
Our Restaurant Labor Cost Calculator is a powerful tool designed to help restaurant owners, managers, and financial professionals analyze and optimize their labor expenses. With this calculator, you can:
Follow these simple steps to get the most out of our Restaurant Labor Cost Calculator:
Choose the appropriate time period for your analysis:
This ensures your calculations match your planning and reporting cycles
For each labor expense category, provide:
Check the “Analysis & Recommendations” section for:
Labor is typically one of the largest expenses for restaurants, often accounting for 25-35% of total revenue. Effectively managing these costs is essential for maintaining profitability while ensuring quality service.
Our Restaurant Labor Cost Calculator helps you maintain the delicate balance between:
By regularly monitoring and analyzing your labor costs with our calculator, you can make informed decisions that improve your restaurant’s financial health without compromising on service quality or employee satisfaction.
Your restaurant's labor cost percentage is calculated by dividing your total labor costs by your total revenue, then multiplying by 100. For example, if your monthly labor costs are $15,000 and your monthly revenue is $50,000, your labor cost percentage would be:
($15,000 ÷ $50,000) × 100 = 30%
Our Restaurant Labor Cost Calculator automates this calculation for you. Simply input your labor costs (wages, benefits, taxes, overtime, and other expenses) and your total revenue, and the calculator will determine your labor cost percentage instantly.
The ideal labor cost percentage varies by restaurant type, but industry benchmarks typically range between 25-35% of total revenue. Here's a breakdown by restaurant category:
Your ideal target may differ based on your specific business model, service style, and location. Higher-end establishments with more personalized service typically have higher labor costs, while quick-service concepts can operate efficiently with lower percentages.
To calculate labor cost per meal:
For example, if your daily labor cost is $800 and you serve 200 meals that day: $800 ÷ 200 = $4 labor cost per meal
This metric is valuable for menu engineering and pricing strategies, helping you understand how much labor goes into each sale.
A reasonable labor cost depends on multiple factors including:
Generally, most profitable restaurants maintain labor costs between 25-35% of revenue. If your labor costs consistently exceed 35%, you might need to review scheduling practices, operational efficiency, menu complexity, or pricing strategy.
The key is to find the right balance that allows you to maintain service quality and employee satisfaction while ensuring profitability. Our Restaurant Labor Cost Calculator helps you compare your costs to industry benchmarks and provides recommendations for optimization.
To calculate your total labor cost, you need to include all labor-related expenses:
Our Restaurant Labor Cost Calculator simplifies this process by providing dedicated fields for each of these components, automatically calculating your total labor cost and labor cost percentage.
For the most accurate assessment, track your labor costs regularly (weekly or monthly) and analyze trends over time to identify opportunities for optimization.
Menubly is an affordable and easy-to-use online menu and ordering platform that helps restaurants create beautiful, interactive online menus and take orders directly from customers - with zero commission fees.
When customers want to view your menu, they can scan a QR code at your restaurant table or click a link you share on social media. They'll see a mobile-friendly menu that makes it easy to browse dishes, check prices, and place orders directly with you - whether for dine-in, pickup, or takeaway.
Menubly is perfect for any food business that wants to modernize its menu experience with an online menu that customers can access instantly and place orders through, such as:
