Estimate the sales volume your restaurant kitchen needs to cover location-related and other fixed costs. The calculator converts a variable cost rate into a contribution margin, then reports break-even revenue and the approximate number of orders required at your average sale. Enter monthly values for a monthly target or weekly values for a weekly target; every money input must use the same period.
Break-even sales = (occupancy/site cost + other fixed costs) ÷ (1 − variable cost rate)
Break-even orders are break-even sales divided by average order value, rounded up to the next whole order.
Break-even sales are the revenue required for contribution margin to cover the selected fixed costs. Earnings are approximately zero at this point before costs omitted from the inputs.
This is an operating estimate. Accounting classifications and local practices may differ.
With $3,000 in site costs, $2,000 in other fixed costs, a 40% variable cost rate, and a $20 average order, break-even sales are $8,333.33. That is 417 whole orders.
Use costs tied to having the location or operating spot, such as rent, parking, commissary allocation, or site fees, according to your accounting method.
Divide costs that rise with sales—such as ingredients, packaging, and transaction fees—by sales for a representative period.
Yes, if that payroll does not change with order volume and is not already included elsewhere.
At 100% or more, each sale contributes nothing toward fixed costs, so a finite break-even sales figure does not exist.
A partial order cannot normally be sold, so the count is rounded up to the first whole order that reaches the target.
| Variable | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Fixed costs | Site cost plus other fixed expenses |
| Contribution margin | 100% minus variable cost rate |
| Average sale | Revenue per completed order |