10 Hidden Costs Killing Your Restaurant Right Now

TOP 10 HIDDEN RESTAURANT COSTS

Here are the top 10 hidden costs killing restaurants right now – and some of the solutions – presented during one of the top educational sessions at Food Fanatics® 2025 in Las Vegas.

1. You don’t have a clear budget

“If you don’t have a weekly or monthly sales budget or some numbers to aim for, you’re probably not going to hit them. You’ll likely also over-order and overschedule.”
Solution: Use digital tools (such as offered through CHECK® Business Tools) or spreadsheets to build sales forecasts by week and day. Factor in weather, events and past trends – and adjust labor and inventory accordingly.

2. Your menu is too big

“Don’t clutter your menu with low-selling items. Big menus lead to longer ticket times, more waste, slower turns and confused guests who can’t make a decision.”

Solution: Run a Product Mix (PMIX) report from your Point of Sales (POS) system, cut underperformers and redesign your menu to spotlight high profit-margin dishes.

3. You’re not thinking enough about your takeout packaging

“If the integrity of the food is compromised between the time you box it and your customers eat it – they won’t be happy. If it’s a sloppy mess, it ruins the guest experience and they won’t order from you again.”
Solution: Invest in takeout packaging that travels well – vented for fries, sealed for soup – and consider adding logos for branding.

4. You’re trying to do too much

“If you try to be everything for everyone, it will stop being cool really fast when consistency or quality suffers.”
Solution: Double down on your core concept. Whether it’s burgers and shakes or upscale sushi, own it – and do it better than anyone else.

5. You’re not using your staff like your best salespeople

“If your servers are just order-takers, they’re costing you money – not making it. Leaving upselling to chance means missed revenue and lower average checks.”
Solution: Train staff to guide the guest experience and suggest profitable add-ons. Celebrate top performers with leaderboards, prizes and perks.

6. You’re over- or under-scheduling staff

“If you’re not actively managing labor, you’re probably going to spend too much.”
Solution: Use labor targets tied to forecasted sales. Vetted staffing services that are part of US Foods’ CHECK Business Tools program (such as 7Shifts and ExpandShare) help you plan ahead, avoid overtime and adjust proactively.

7. You don’t have a clear culture you’re trying to create

“Culture starts with ownership and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) – if you don’t have recipes, rules and expectations, chaos follows. A poor culture leads to burnout, high turnover and poor execution.”
Solution: Invest in restaurant management software to build structure with SOPs, while rewarding small wins publicly and offering different motivators like flexible schedules, professional development or recognition.

8. You totally blow off preventative maintenance

“A nickel of prevention saves you a ton later – and there’s a checklist for most equipment pieces now. Equipment breakdowns lead to emergency repairs, lost revenue and very annoyed employees.”
Solution: Access downloadable checklists or digital services as part of US Foods CHECK Business Tools to maintain preventative maintenance schedules for everything from hoods to filters.

9. You’re not capturing your customer data

“There’s so much competition for attention these days – you have to go find them on their phone. Without customer contact info, you miss out on loyalty, repeat business and marketing opportunities.”
Solution: Use POS systems and loyalty programs (such as those offered by Check Business Tools solution Clover Hospitality by BentoBox and Ovation) to collect names, emails and phone numbers. Then, follow up with emails, texts and push notifications.

10. You’re understandably confused by all the tech out there

“Everything that used to be on 16 clipboards can now be on your phone in your pocket, thanks to all the tech out there – but many independent operators have been slow to adopt these new technologies. Underutilizing technology creates a lot of wasted time and potential errors.”
Solution: Schedule time with a US Foods Restaurant Operations Consultant to help identify your biggest pain point – and what piece of technology would have the strongest impact on your business goals (it’s less overwhelming this way).