Guide to COGS for Restaurants

November 25, 2024 |Accounting & Bookkeeping

As a restaurant owner, understanding your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is important to maintaining profitability and running a successful business. COGS represents the direct costs associated with producing the food and drinks you sell, from raw ingredients to packaging and labor directly involved in food preparation. Tracking COGS not only helps you keep your costs in check but also allows you to adjust pricing and optimize margins.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down what COGS is, why it matters for restaurants, how to calculate it, and strategies to optimize it for better profitability. With the right accounting practices in place, you can make informed decisions that directly impact your bottom line. And when it comes to professional guidance, QMK Consulting is here to help. As a trusted accounting firm, we specialize in helping restaurants manage their COGS and improve financial performance.

What is Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) and key components of COGS

Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) refers to the direct costs of producing the food and beverages your restaurant sells. These costs include everything from the ingredients (like vegetables, meat, and spices) to the packaging materials used for takeout orders. COGS is very essential for determining your restaurant’s gross profit, as it helps you measure the costs that go directly into preparing your dishes.

Key components of COGS include:

Ingredients and raw materials (food and beverages)
Labor costs for food preparation and kitchen staff directly involved in the production of menu items
Packaging costs for takeout and delivery services
Supplies used in food prep (e.g., oils, spices, condiments)

Tracking these components is essential for accurate financial reporting and decision making.

Why is COGS important for restaurants?

COGS is one of the most significant expenses for restaurants and directly impacts profitability. By tracking and understanding your COGS, you can make informed decisions about pricing, menu design, and vendor contracts. Without a clear understanding of COGS, a restaurant owner may miss opportunities to optimize margins or manage food costs effectively.

Benefits of tracking COGS

Tracking COGS provides several key benefits for restaurant owners:

Improved profitability: Understanding the costs involved in food production allows you to price your menu items correctly and control waste, improving profit margins.
Better financial planning: Accurate COGS data helps with forecasting, budgeting, and long-term financial planning, ensuring that your business remains financially sustainable.
Inventory control: Tracking COGS helps identify areas where inventory is overstocked or wasted, allowing for more efficient ordering and purchasing decisions.

QMK Consulting’s restaurant accounting services help you maintain detailed COGS records, giving you the insights needed to optimize food cost management and improve overall financial health.

Formula for COGS

To calculate COGS, you can use the basic formula:

COGS = Beginning Inventory + Purchases – Ending Inventory

This formula helps you account for the total cost of goods sold over a certain period.

How to calculate COGS for your restaurant

Understanding how to calculate COGS is crucial for assessing the cost effectiveness of your restaurant’s operations. Here's how you can calculate it:

How do you calculate the COGS?

To calculate COGS, you need to consider the value of your inventory at the beginning and end of each period, along with the purchases made during the period. This ensures that you account for everything used to prepare the food you sell.

Formula for COGS Calculation:

COGS = Beginning Inventory + Purchases – Ending Inventory

This allows you to account for all costs related to your menu items.

How do you calculate profit COGS?

To calculate your profit margin after COGS, subtract your COGS from your net sales. Profit = Net Sales – COGS This gives you the gross profit that can be used for other operating expenses, like labor and rent.

What is the formula for COGS average?

The average COGS for a restaurant can be calculated by dividing the total COGS by the number of items sold during the period. This helps you assess the cost per item, which can be useful for menu pricing.

Formula:

Average COGS = Total COGS ÷ Number of Items Sold

What is the formula for COGS with net sales?

COGS as a percentage of sales is another useful metric:

COGS % = COGS ÷ Net Sales x 100

This helps you see how much of your revenue is being spent on producing the food and beverages you sell.

Strategies to optimize COGS

Optimizing your restaurant's COGS can have a direct impact on profitability. Here are some strategies that can help:

Reduce food waste: Food waste is one of the biggest drains on restaurant profitability. By properly managing inventory, monitoring portion sizes, and training staff to reduce waste, you can significantly lower your COGS.
Negotiate with vendors: Regularly review vendor contracts and negotiate for better pricing on high-volume ingredients. Additionally, consider sourcing locally to reduce shipping and handling costs. QMK can help analyze vendor relationships and suggest ways to optimize supply chain costs.
Menu engineering: Evaluate the cost of ingredients for each menu item and consider redesigning your menu to prioritize high-margin dishes. QMK helps you analyze your menu and make data-driven decisions on which items are most profitable.
Use technology: Implementing inventory management and POS systems helps track ingredient usage and monitor your COGS in real time. These tools provide valuable insights for adjusting purchasing and pricing decisions. QMK Consulting can guide you through integrating such technology for better tracking and reporting.

How professional accounting can help

Professional accountants, especially those specializing in restaurant accounting, can make a huge difference in accurately tracking and optimizing your COGS. QMK Consulting offers restaurant cost of goods sold services that go beyond basic bookkeeping, providing you with in-depth analysis and actionable insights to streamline your operations and improve profit margins.

Our expert team helps you monitor your financial health, avoid common mistakes, and maximize deductions. With QMK’s support, you can focus on growing your restaurant while leaving the financial details to the experts.

Common COGS Mistakes to Avoid

Restaurant owners often make the following COGS-related mistakes, which can lead to higher costs and reduced profitability:

Inaccurate inventory tracking: Not tracking inventory consistently can lead to discrepancies in COGS calculations.
Ignoring seasonal price fluctuations: Not adjusting for changes in ingredient prices throughout the year can throw off your calculations.
Underestimating waste: Failing to account for food waste in COGS can inflate the reported profitability.

QMK Consulting helps ensure your COGS calculations are accurate, thorough, and aligned with industry best practices.

Expert guidance from QMK Consulting

Without the right systems, tools, and expert guidance, managing COGS can be a complex challenge, leaving room for errors, inefficiencies, and lost profits. At QMK Consulting, we specialize in transforming how restaurant owners approach their finances. By streamlining accounting processes, reducing unnecessary costs, and implementing data-driven strategies, we help restaurants gain a clear, accurate picture of their financial health.

Our team works closely with restaurant owners to identify opportunities for reducing COGS without sacrificing quality or customer satisfaction. From renegotiating vendor contracts to improving inventory management and menu optimization, we tailor solutions that drive measurable improvements in profitability. With QMK’s expertise, you can feel confident that your financial management is in the best hands, allowing you to focus on what you do best which is running a successful restaurant.

Don’t let rising costs eat into your margins. Partner with QMK Consulting today, and let us help you implement the strategies you need to lower COGS, maximize profits, and ensure long-term financial success. Ready to take control of your COGS and boost your profits?

Book your free consultation

FAQs

What is the formula for COGS in restaurants?

The formula for COGS in restaurants is: COGS = Beginning Inventory + Purchases – Ending Inventory

What is the basic formula for COGS?

The basic formula for calculating COGS is: COGS = Beginning Inventory + Purchases – Ending Inventory

How to control COGS in a restaurant?

Controlling COGS involves minimizing food waste, managing inventory efficiently, negotiating with vendors, and optimizing menu items for profitability.