Free prime cost spreadsheet
Track food, beverage and labor costs every week and see your prime cost percentage against your target. One Excel file that also opens in Google Sheets. No sign-up.
Download the prime cost spreadsheet (.xlsx)
Labor only? The labor cost calculator checks one week online.
What is in the file
- 52 weekly rows: net food sales, net beverage sales, food and beverage cost of goods, and labor with payroll taxes and benefits.
- Results per week: food cost %, beverage cost %, labor %, prime cost in dollars, prime cost % and an On target or Over flag.
- Period totals for the whole year, plus an Instructions sheet.
What it looks like
| Week | Sales | Food cost | Bev cost | Labor | Prime cost | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2 | $30,700 | 31.0% | 23.4% | 31.9% | 61.4% | Over |
| Nov 9 | $29,700 | 30.0% | 22.9% | 30.0% | 58.6% | On target |
How to calculate prime cost
- Cost of goods sold = beginning inventory + purchases − ending inventory, for food and beverage.
- Total labor = wages and salaries + payroll taxes + benefits, for every employee including managers.
- Prime cost = cost of goods sold + total labor.
- Prime cost % = prime cost ÷ total sales.
A common rule of thumb is a prime cost at or under 60% of sales. Many full-service restaurants run 60% to 65%, and quick service often runs lower. Your own trend matters more than any benchmark.
Questions
What is a good prime cost percentage for a restaurant?
A common target is 60% of sales or less. Full-service restaurants often land between 60% and 65%. Above 65%, there is usually little left for rent, utilities and profit.
Does prime cost include manager salaries?
Yes. Prime cost counts all labor, including salaried managers, payroll taxes and benefits, not only hourly wages.
Does the prime cost template work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. All formulas carry over.
Can my POS report prime cost?
Most POS systems report sales and labor. Prime cost also needs cost of goods, so you need inventory counts or a back-office tool that reads your invoices.
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