Restaurant Break-Even Calculator

Calculate your restaurant's break-even point. Enter rent, labor, food costs, and average check to find the daily covers needed to become profitable.

How to Calculate Break-Even for a Restaurant

Restaurant break-even uses the same core formula adapted for food service: Break-Even Covers = Monthly Fixed Costs / (Average Check − Variable Cost per Cover). Fixed costs include rent, salaries, insurance, and utilities — typically $15,000–$50,000/month for a small restaurant. Variable costs per cover include food cost (aim for 28–35% of menu price), disposables, and credit card fees. Example: $25,000 fixed costs, $30 average check, $12 variable cost per cover. BEP = 25,000 / (30 − 12) = 1,389 covers/month or about 47 covers/day.

FAQ

What food cost percentage should I use for break-even?

Most successful restaurants maintain food costs at 28–35% of the menu price. Fast-casual typically runs 25–30%, fine dining 30–40%. Use your actual food cost per dish or an average. If your average plate is $25 and food cost is 30%, that's $7.50 per cover in variable food cost.

How many covers per day does an average restaurant need?

It varies by format. A casual dining restaurant with 80 seats typically needs 100–150 covers/day to break even (1.2–1.9 table turns). Fast-casual may need 200+ covers but at lower check averages. Calculate your specific numbers using this tool.

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