Restaurant live
Prime cost first — plus daypart mix, labor, and per-location P&L.Prime cost (food + beverage + labor ÷ revenue) is the single number that decides a restaurant's survival. Below 60% is healthy; every point above is margin off the table.
By daypart
Where revenue and margin come from across the day| Daypart | Revenue share | Avg check | Prime cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | 28% | $24 | 63% |
| Dinner | 49% | $52 | 60% |
| Bar / Late | 23% | $38 | 52% |
By location
$1.9M/mo across 4 locations| Location | Revenue /mo | Prime cost | Labor | SSS YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor (flagship) | $642K | 58% | 31% | +6.2% |
| Midtown | $511K | 60% | 32% | +3.1% |
| Riverside | $438K | 61% | 33% | +1.4% |
| Uptown (new) | $287K | 67% | 37% | -2% |
What the model sees
Grounded read on the groupUptown (new) is the prime-cost problem at 67% (target ≤60%) with labor at 37% and same-store sales -2%. It's a ramp + scheduling gap, not the menu — tighten labor to forecasted covers before touching prices.
Bar / late daypart runs the lowest prime cost (52%) on a $38 check — that's your margin. Shifting two covers a night from lunch to bar moves group prime cost more than any food-cost negotiation.
Network revenue is $1.9M/mo and inventory turnover is healthy, so don't chase food cost — the lever is labor scheduling and daypart mix. Prime cost is the one number to put on every GM's wall.