How to quickly find out what your restaurant is currently losing money on
In the hospitality industry, success often depends on the little things — and usually on those we don’t see. When margins start to shrink and profits disappear, when there’s less money in the account than last time, the first question is usually: Where is it all going?
The problem is that restaurants today generate an enormous amount of data: dozens of invoices each week, multiple suppliers, fluctuating ingredient prices, energy costs, wages, marketing, and operations. Amid all that, it’s hard to find a single source of truth.
1. Hidden losses you don’t see
Losses in a restaurant don’t appear all at once. They creep in quietly:
- A small increase in ingredient prices that no one notices.
- An unfavourable ratio of wages to sales that slowly grows.
- Unnecessary stock or excessive supplier orders that make no sense.
- Energy and minor operating costs that fluctuate with the seasons.
- Intangible expenses — like marketing, Facebook ads, a freelancer managing social media, or tools for design and planning. Plus fees for the till system, card payments, or other platforms.
2. Why accounting data alone isn’t enough
Your accountant might tell you how much you’ve spent — but not exactly where you’ve started losing money.
From the accounts alone, you won’t see that mozzarella from the same supplier has gone up by 18%, or that the price of coffee has risen by a pound per portion over three months.
If you want to run your restaurant efficiently, you need real-time insight — not information that arrives after the books are closed.
Your accountant might tell you how much you’ve spent — but not exactly where you’ve started losing money.
From the accounts alone, you won’t see that mozzarella from the same supplier has gone up by 18%, or that the price of coffee has risen by a pound per portion over three months.
If you want to run your restaurant efficiently, you need real-time insight — not information that arrives after the books are closed.
3. Why your spreadsheets aren’t enough
You might say, “But I track everything in a spreadsheet.” That’s great — but it’s impossible to keep an eye on every single item manually. In your spreadsheet, you’re probably monitoring the main, most expensive ingredients — which makes sense. But when you look at your business as a whole, there are hundreds of individual items and expenses, from salt and flour to printing a new menu.
And it’s often in these “ little things“ that another 20% of potential savings are hiding — the kind you suspect exist but can’t quite pinpoint.
You might even be paying for something completely unnecessary, simply because no one’s keeping track of it.
You might say, “But I track everything in a spreadsheet.” That’s great — but it’s impossible to keep an eye on every single item manually. In your spreadsheet, you’re probably monitoring the main, most expensive ingredients — which makes sense. But when you look at your business as a whole, there are hundreds of individual items and expenses, from salt and flour to printing a new menu.
And it’s often in these “ little things“ that another 20% of potential savings are hiding — the kind you suspect exist but can’t quite pinpoint.
You might even be paying for something completely unnecessary, simply because no one’s keeping track of it.
4. How to identify your rising costs right now — even the invisible ones
There are tools (such as Dishboard) where you can simply upload your invoices from the past few weeks. In just a few moments, the tool reveals where prices are slowly but steadily rising, highlights expenses you may be paying unnecessarily, and shows where savings could still be made.
All data is anonymised and visible only to you — no need to manually recalculate spreadsheets or compare invoices line by line.
Such a tool:
✅ automatically imports invoices from all your suppliers,
✅ tracks price trends for individual items,
✅ alerts you when something becomes more expensive,
✅ and shows you where the biggest deviations from your plan occur.
You don’t have to do anything manually — the system itself shows you where and why you’re currently losing money.
And not only that: it also generates a complete overview for you. When you connect your till and bank account, you get an automated summary of your performance every day, week, month, and year. It can even predict how much tax you’ll need to pay — so nothing catches you off guard.
Instead of constantly rewriting figures, checking your bank account, and worrying about how you’ll manage this month, you have a clear and automated overview of everything.
There are tools (such as Dishboard) where you can simply upload your invoices from the past few weeks. In just a few moments, the tool reveals where prices are slowly but steadily rising, highlights expenses you may be paying unnecessarily, and shows where savings could still be made.
All data is anonymised and visible only to you — no need to manually recalculate spreadsheets or compare invoices line by line.
Such a tool:
✅ automatically imports invoices from all your suppliers,
✅ tracks price trends for individual items,
✅ alerts you when something becomes more expensive,
✅ and shows you where the biggest deviations from your plan occur.
You don’t have to do anything manually — the system itself shows you where and why you’re currently losing money.
And not only that: it also generates a complete overview for you. When you connect your till and bank account, you get an automated summary of your performance every day, week, month, and year. It can even predict how much tax you’ll need to pay — so nothing catches you off guard.
Instead of constantly rewriting figures, checking your bank account, and worrying about how you’ll manage this month, you have a clear and automated overview of everything.
5. How it works in practice
The owner of a bistro in České Budějovice noticed that profits from the lunch menu had dropped, even though customer numbers remained the same.
After uploading his invoices, the price tracker revealed that three items from his key supplier list had increased by more than 12% in the past 30 days.
Within minutes, he knew what was going on and could take action — switching suppliers and adjusting the menu.
The owner of a bistro in České Budějovice noticed that profits from the lunch menu had dropped, even though customer numbers remained the same.
After uploading his invoices, the price tracker revealed that three items from his key supplier list had increased by more than 12% in the past 30 days.
Within minutes, he knew what was going on and could take action — switching suppliers and adjusting the menu.
How to find out right now?
Would you like to uncover the items that are eating into your margins? We’ve got a simple tool for that!
What do restaurant owners say about the Price Tracker?
“We’ve stopped checking prices manually. Thanks to the Price Tracker, we’ve saved £3,200.” — Petr Janoušek, owner of Terminál Karlín restaurant
Petr Janoušek - Terminál Karlin
Price tracker
“Now it only takes one click — and it’s done. Before, I used to spend weeks on it and stress out.” — Iva from Bistro Lagom
Iva from Bistro Lagom
“I check Dishboard once a week. I usually just have a coffee, look at the numbers, and head home. The sense of relief is indescribable.” - Karolína
Karolína and Elena — owners of Bistro Karel
Would you like to achieve the same great results in your own restaurant or café?
Tell us your story, and we’ll create a tailored solution just for you!
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