Independent restaurant · Neighborhood bistro, 72 seats
Full every Friday, profitable every month
A 72-seat neighborhood bistro packed on weekends but losing money midweek — projected results from a 90-day prime-cost and day-part reset.
- -7%
- Prime cost
- +14%
- Check average
- +31%
- Midweek covers
The situation
The menu has never been costed plate by plate, portioning drifts between chefs, and the roster assumes a Friday volume that arrives twice a week.
How we would work it
- Full menu engineering with plate-level costing
- Rebuild the roster around forecast covers by day-part
- Launch an early-week prix fixe aimed at locals
- Weekly variance review with the owner and head chef
Projected outcome
Modeled outcome: prime cost falls seven points, midweek trade grows roughly a third, and the bistro funds refurbishment from operating cash.
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