Restaurant · Bar · Cafe financial tools

Know your real numbers before the bank does.

Prime cost, break-even per seat, menu pricing and a 3-year projection that prints on one page. Built in Excel by a finance student with hands-on experience in SMB financing analysis, priced for an operator.

Get the free calculator See the Toolkit · $79

Secure checkout by Gumroad
Instant download
Excel 2016+ and Google Sheets
14-day refund
Questions answered by the person who built it

Sourced benchmarksEvery industry number cites its publisher and year.

Validated by codeEvery result is a formula, tested automatically on three presets.

No macros, no subscriptionExcel 2016+ and Google Sheets. One-time $79, 14-day refund.

Restaurant Financial Toolkit — Dashboard sheet

Where do you want to start?

Pick the line that sounds like you this week.

Restaurant · cafe · food truck

Check last month's food, labor and prime cost

Ten numbers from your books, four ratios color-coded against sourced benchmarks. Excel or Google Sheets.

Free calculator →

Bar · pub · brewpub

Find where the liquor, beer or wine money goes

Monthly count, pour cost by category, every cocktail costed per ounce, a 12-month bar P&L.

Bar Tracker · $49 →

Opening · expanding · borrowing

Prepare the numbers a lender will ask for

Break-even per day and per seat, menu pricing, a 3-year projection with DSCR on one page.

Toolkit · $79 →

No time for spreadsheets

Have the model set up for your concept

You answer about 20 questions, estimates are fine. You get the file and a 2-page summary.

Done for you · $149 →

En français ? Le calculateur gratuit du coût principal existe en français →

Try the numbers in your browser

Seven free online calculators. Nothing is sent anywhere, no email asked.

Food cost & prime cost calculator

Enter last month's sales, inventory, purchases and labor. Get food, beverage, labor and prime cost %, color-coded against sourced benchmarks.

Open the calculator →

Restaurant break-even calculator

Fixed costs, average check and variable cost %. Get break-even sales, covers per month, per day and per seat.

Open the calculator →

Menu pricing calculator

Recipe cost and target food cost % → suggested menu price, contribution margin, and the real food cost % of your current price.

Open the calculator →

Cocktail cost & pour cost calculator

Bottle price, bottle size and pour for up to five ingredients → cost per drink, pour cost % and a suggested price at your target.

Open the calculator →

Latte & coffee drink pricing calculator

Dose, bean price, milk and cup → real cost of a latte, its cost % at your price and a suggested price.

Open the calculator →

Labor cost % calculator

Hours, wages, salaries, payroll taxes → labor cost % against the range for a restaurant, a bar or a cafe, and sales per labor hour.

Open the calculator →

Employee turnover cost calculator

Headcount × turnover rate × cost per departure, with 2025 industry defaults. Per year, per month, share of sales.

Open the calculator →

By the numbers

76documented assumptions, 11 blocks, 3 presets

8sheets, one file, prints on one page

13free guides with worked examples

45automated tests on every release (zero formula errors, control results within 0.5%)

14 daysfull refund, no questions

Inside the Restaurant Financial Toolkit

Real screenshots of the Restaurant preset (80 seats, 140 covers a day, $55 average check — fictional but realistic). Click to enlarge.

51 seconds, no sound. Real screenshots of the fictional Restaurant preset.

Restaurant Financial Toolkit — Monthly P&L sheet — **Monthly P&L**12 months: sales by category, COGS, labor, prime cost, occupancy, operating expenses (incl. staff turnover), EBITDA.

Restaurant Financial Toolkit — Break-Even sheet — **Break-Even**Per month, per day, in covers, per seat, per service — loan payments included — and margin of safety.

Restaurant Financial Toolkit — Menu Pricing sheet — **Menu Pricing**20 items: recipe cost → suggested price at your target cost %, contribution margin, menu mix.

Restaurant Financial Toolkit — 3-Year Projection sheet — **3-Year Projection**Annual P&L, loan schedule, DSCR, simplified cash flow, sources & uses — prints on one page for a lender.

Restaurant Financial Toolkit — Inputs sheet — **Inputs**76 light-blue assumptions in 11 blocks, three presets (restaurant / bar / cafe–food truck) and a 'Your value' column.

Restaurant Financial Toolkit — Assumptions & Sources sheet — **Assumptions & Sources**Every benchmark with publisher, title, year and link. Where no reliable source exists, it says so.

Restaurant Financial Toolkit — Start Here sheet — **Start Here**Instructions, color legend, preset dropdown, seven steps to a bank-ready file.

Get the Toolkit · $79 3-page sample PDF (no email)Full description

Free calculator vs Toolkit

Start free. Upgrade when you need the P&L, the pricing sheet or a projection for a lender.

What you get	Free calculator	Toolkit · $79
Food, beverage, labor and prime cost % for one month, inventory method, color-coded	✓	✓
Sourced benchmarks with publisher and year	✓ (4)	✓ (all 76 inputs)
12-month P&L with occupancy, operating expenses, staff turnover line, EBITDA	—	✓
Menu pricing for 20 items with menu mix	—	✓
Break-even per month, per day, per seat, per service, margin of safety	—	✓
3-year projection, loan schedule, DSCR, sources & uses — one printable page	—	✓
Three presets (restaurant, bar, cafe / food truck) and a "Your value" column	—	✓
Excel 2016+ and Google Sheets, no macros	✓	✓
Email support · 14-day refund	✓	✓

Download the free calculator Restaurant Financial Toolkit · $79

Run a bar? Count it, cost it, price it.

The Bar Inventory & Pour Cost Tracker ($49): 50-line inventory, pour cost by category vs sourced benchmarks, 20 cocktails priced from your own ingredient costs, 12-month bar P&L. Bundle it with the Toolkit for $99 instead of $128.

Get the Bar Tracker · $49 See every sheet Toolkit + Tracker · $99

Rather have it done for you?

For an owner who needs a projection for a lender or an investor and has no time to fill 76 inputs.

Custom restaurant or bar financial model · $149

After purchase you get a 20-question questionnaire. Estimates are fine.
I reply within 1 business day if something is unclear.
Within 5 business days you receive the Toolkit set up for your concept and a 2-page summary of the results.
One round of adjustments within 7 days. If the model can't be built from what you send, you get a refund.

Order the custom model · $149 See a sample first

Custom restaurant financial model delivered in 5 business days

Guides

Plain-English explanations of the numbers a lender will ask about, with worked examples. New owner? Start with prime cost, then break-even.

Costs: food, beverage, labor, prime cost

2026-10-09

How to Price a Menu Item Based on Food Cost

Divide recipe cost by your target food cost percentage. Worked example, common mistakes, and a weekly checklist for small operators.

2026-10-08

Restaurant Labor Cost Percentage Including Benefits: What to Count and What Is Normal

Restaurant labor cost percentage with benefits: the formula, the NRA medians (34.2% and 36.5%), a worked example and a checklist for this week.

2026-10-08

Free Prime Cost Calculator for Restaurants, Bars and Cafes: What to Enter and How to Read It

A free prime cost calculator for one month: what to enter, the formula, a worked bar example and the sourced benchmarks to compare against.

2026-10-07

What Is a Normal Pour Cost for a Bar? (2026 Benchmarks)

Industry pour cost benchmarks by category: liquor, beer, wine. Sourced data, calculation method, and free calculator.

2026-10-07

How to Calculate Beverage Cost Percentage (Formula + Example)

Learn the beverage cost formula, see a worked example, and compare your pour cost to industry benchmarks for bars and restaurants.

2026-10-06

What is a Good Prime Cost Percentage for Restaurants

Industry benchmarks for prime cost percentage by segment: full-service, bar, and cafe. Learn the target range and how to improve it.

2026-10-06

What Should Labor Cost Be for a Bar? (Benchmarks + How to Calculate)

Bar labor cost should be 25 to 35% of sales. Learn how to calculate yours, what to include, and when your percentage is too high.

2026-10-06

How to Calculate Prime Cost for a Restaurant (Formula + Example)

Prime cost = COGS + total labor. Learn the formula, see a worked example, and download a free calculator to track yours monthly.

2026-10-06

How to Calculate Food Cost Percentage with Inventory

Step-by-step guide to calculate restaurant food cost percentage using beginning inventory, purchases, and ending inventory.

Pricing the menu

2026-10-08

How to Price a Latte: Formula, Cost Breakdown & Profit

Calculate latte pricing from recipe cost and target margin. Includes real cost breakdown, markup formula, and 4 fixes for low-margin drinks.

Profitability: break-even, turnover, lenders

2026-10-08

Why Is My Restaurant Busy but Not Profitable? Check Prime Cost First

A full dining room does not mean profit. Check prime cost first: the 60% to 65% benchmark, a worked example and what to do this week.

2026-10-07

Restaurant Employee Turnover Cost: Calculate What You Lose

Calculate turnover cost: headcount × rate × $2,706 per departure. Full-service restaurants lose ~92% of hourly staff yearly (Black Box Intelligence 2025). Track it monthly.

2026-10-07

How to Calculate Restaurant Break-Even Point (Formula + Example)

Learn the break-even formula for restaurants, see a worked example in covers per day, and understand how fixed costs and margin drive your threshold.

Before you buy any restaurant spreadsheet, check these six things

Ask them of any template, ours included. Here is how ours answers.

1.Can you see every sheet before you pay?

Screenshots of every sheet on this site, a 3-page sample PDF with no email asked, and a free calculator built by the same code as the paid files.

2.Where do the benchmarks come from?

Each range names its publisher, title, year and link. Where no reliable source exists, the file shows no benchmark instead of a guess. See the full list.

3.Can you audit the math?

Every result is a visible formula. No macros, no locked sheets, no hidden cells you cannot open.

4.Has anyone checked the formulas?

An automated test suite rebuilds the files and checks them for errors and against control numbers before each release. What the tests check.

5.Will you pay every month?

No. One payment, the file is yours, it works offline in Excel or in Google Sheets.

6.What if it does not fit your concept?

Full refund within 14 days, and email support from the person who built it.

Questions

Will it work in Google Sheets?

Yes. The file uses only standard functions, no macros and no add-ins. Upload it to Google Drive and open it with Sheets; formatting and formulas carry over. Excel 2016 or later on Windows and Mac works as well.

What does the free calculator do that the Toolkit does not — and the reverse?

The free calculator covers one month of actuals: food, beverage, labor and prime cost from 10 numbers, color-coded. The Toolkit adds a 12-month P&L, menu pricing for 20 items, break-even per day / per seat / per service, a 3-year projection with loan schedule and DSCR, three presets and 76 documented assumptions. If you only need to check last month, the free file is enough.

Where do the benchmarks come from?

Each one is listed on the Assumptions & Sources sheet with publisher, title, year and link: MarginEdge (2026), Backbar Academy (2019), National Restaurant Association (2025), Restaurant365, Black Box Intelligence (2025), Zest Specialty Coffee Roasters (2025) among others. Where no reliable source exists, the sheet says 'No benchmark' rather than inventing one.

Can I use it for a bar, a cafe or a food truck?

Yes. Three presets ship in the file (80-seat restaurant, 60-seat bar, 30-seat cafe / food truck) with segment-specific targets. Replace the light-blue inputs block by block with your own numbers.

Is it bank-ready?

The 3-Year Projection prints on one page with the figures a lender asks for: annual P&L, loan schedule, DSCR, sources and uses. It is a planning model built by a finance student with hands-on experience in SMB financing analysis, not a substitute for your accountant's statements.

What if it does not work for me?

Full refund within 14 days, no questions. Email support is included.

Who builds this

Elliot Pelletier · PrimeCost Lab · Québec, CanadaFinance student with hands-on experience in SMB financing analysis. I build the models I would want on the other side of a loan file: every benchmark sourced, every formula tested, and a free version that is actually useful. Not sure which file fits? Email me before you buy: outilfinance@gmail.com.