Can you trust restaurant calorie counts?

All the restaurants and their trade association say that most calorie counts are as accurate as possible and tested extensively to make sure. They conceded that there are variations, mostly due to portion size and individual restaurant preparation, and that the menus warn actual calories may vary.

How much does the average person spend on food at a restaurant?

Spend $50 a week on restaurant food, and in total, you’re spending $2,500 per year, near the national average. This cash adds up to almost half of the average American’s annual food budget.

Do restaurants lie about their calories?

Most calorie counts on restaurant menus are accurate, according to new Tufts research. But almost one-fifth are off in the wrong direction-understating the actual calorie content of foods by 100 calories or more.

Do fast food restaurants lie about calories?

The FDA gives restaurants leeway: There’s no regulation on how much the calories listed on a menu can vary from what’s actually in the dish — they only have to be “reasonable.” Most of the restaurants say they calculate calorie counts based on an average.

What is the ideal prime cost percentage for a restaurant?

63\% is in the ideal range for a prime cost percentage and this means you have 37\% that can be allocated for rent, utilities, insurance and other expenses and also profits. Now that we’ve gone over how much your prime costs should ideally be, we can dive in and see what the typical costs are for liquor, food, and labor for a restaurant or bar.

How much should a restaurant charge for food?

Ideally you would want your prime costs to be between 55-65\% and the rest goes to other expenses like rent, new equipment, utilities and menu design. Anything less than 50\% can indicate your food quality is low, you are charging too much, or have too little staff.

What is the average labor cost for a fast food restaurant?

A fast-food restaurant could typically run labor costs around 25\% while a full service restaurant could run about 30-40\% of revenue depending on how up scale the bar or restaurant is and the demand needed. In order to determine what your restaurant is running at for labor costs you will need to calculate labor costs as a percentage.

What is the average cost of food for a small business?

Typically the average food costs are around 28-35\% to remain profitable. Your COGS for food is the amount you spend on ingredients for each dish and inventory for a given time period. To calculate actual food costs use the following formula: