Restaurant break-even calculator
Know your number. Enter fixed monthly costs, your average check, and variable costs per order — see exactly how many covers a month (and a day) keep the lights on.
Three inputs, one number that matters
Total your fixed costs
Rent, salaried staff, insurance, subscriptions — everything you pay even in a dead month.
Estimate the per-order economics
Average check and the variable cost share of each order (food, packaging, hourly labor) — typically 30–40%.
Get your break-even line
Orders per month, orders per day, and the revenue those orders represent. Everything above the line is profit contribution.
Questions restaurant owners ask
How do I calculate a restaurant break-even point?
Break-even orders = fixed monthly costs ÷ contribution margin per order, where contribution margin is the average check minus its variable costs. $12,000 fixed with a $19.50 contribution per order means about 616 orders a month.
What counts as a fixed vs variable cost?
Fixed costs don’t move with volume: rent, salaried managers, insurance, software. Variable costs scale with each order: ingredients, packaging, card fees, delivery commissions, and hourly labor you add on busy shifts.
Do delivery app commissions change my break-even?
Significantly. A 25% commission is a variable cost, so it shrinks the contribution of every marketplace order — you need more of them to break even. Commission-free direct orders carry more contribution per check.
How can I lower my break-even point?
Raise contribution per order (pricing, menu mix, direct instead of commissioned orders) or cut fixed costs. Small per-order gains compound: $1 more contribution on 1,500 monthly orders is $18,000 a year.
More free tools
Restaurant Profit Margin Calculator
Enter monthly revenue and costs to see your gross margin, net margin, and prime cost at a glance.
Delivery App Fee Calculator
See what DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub commissions really cost you per year — versus direct ordering.
Food Cost Calculator
Cost out any dish, see your food cost percentage, and get a suggested menu price for your target margin.
Lower the line. Keep the contribution.
Every direct order carries more margin than the same order through a 25% marketplace. Menuline gets you commission-free ordering for $1/month for your first 3 months.