Trading performance
Busy, but little left over?
Separate sales from what remains after product, staffing and running costs. A useful starting point when a full venue is not translating into a healthier business.
Read the guideGuides & tools
A useful place to start.
Practical help with the numbers behind an independent café, restaurant, pub or bar. Choose the question that matters to your business.
Menu pricing
What sits behind a menu price?
Bring product costs, sales volumes and customer choices into the same decision before changing your prices.
Read the guideTill reports
Make more of the records you have.
Choose the reports that answer your question, check their definitions and make a useful comparison.
Read the guideFree calculator
Compare a price change.
Explore how price, product cost and sales volume affect contribution. Use your own assumptions and download the comparison.
Open the calculatorWorked example
What would a review actually show?
A fictional lunch service illustrates the difference between a pattern in the figures and a sensible action. No client results are claimed.
View the exampleGetting ready
Which records might be useful?
A straightforward checklist of sales, staffing and cost information. You do not need to prepare it before getting in touch.
Read the checklistStart with one question.
You do not need another long reading list. Start with a decision you are already facing: a price change, a quiet service or a week that felt busy but left very little.
Some guides use café examples. The questions can also be useful in restaurants, pubs and bars, but the answer should reflect your menu, customers and way of operating.