{"id":22302,"date":"2024-03-21T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-22T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=22302"},"modified":"2024-09-10T11:58:15","modified_gmt":"2024-09-10T15:58:15","slug":"reduce-rising-costs-cutting-into-restaurants-profits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/reduce-rising-costs-cutting-into-restaurants-profits\/","title":{"rendered":"How to reduce the chance of rising costs cutting into your restaurant\u2019s profits"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to reduce the chance of rising costs cutting into your restaurant\u2019s profits\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2024-03-21T21:00:00-04:00\">March 21, 2024<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How to reduce the chance of rising costs cutting into your restaurant\u2019s profits\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/reduce-rising-costs-cutting-into-restaurants-profits\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/bill-fuesz\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/BillFueszHeadshot-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Bill Fuesz\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Bill Fuesz<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no doubt that running a restaurant is more expensive than ever.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Average food costs are up 20% year over year, according to the National Restaurant Association\u2019s annual <a href=\"https:\/\/restaurant.org\/research-and-media\/research\/research-reports\/state-of-the-industry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">State of the Industry report<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Add to that 43% of restaurant operators are still carrying debt accumulated during the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More so, 70% of operators say they have hard-to-fill job openings, which ends up putting more cost pressures on the business. Food shortages persist, and nearly four out of every 10 operators aren\u2019t profitable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The average restaurant today has a profit margin of between 3% to 5%, yet there are some operators with close to 20% profit margins, despite major headwinds.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How do some operators rake up four to five times the profit of others?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They\u2019re tracking costs, measuring everything coming in both the back and front doors, and then managing and improving.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They can do this using technology, and you can too. That\u2019s what we talk about in this article.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-breaking-down-costs-nbsp\"><strong>Breaking down costs<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurant costs fall into four major buckets: &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Food&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Beverages&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Labor&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Overheads.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The first three are self-evident and combined account for prime costs.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Overhead covers costs not associated with food, beverage and labor, such as linens, glassware, paper goods, swipe fees, marketing, leases, taxes, utilities, etc.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These expenses aren\u2019t assigned to a specific menu item and aren\u2019t included in the cost of goods sold. Instead, they\u2019re considered selling, general and administrative (SG&amp;A) expenses.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re aiming for better profitability, prime costs should come in at 60% to 65% of total revenue.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, SG&amp;A should come in at 15% to 20%.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sound impossible?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s not if you pull the right levers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the strategies in play is menu engineering. This allows analysis of the profitability of each menu item to optimize the most profitable dishes while considering ingredient substitutions or portion adjustments for less profitable items.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should classify menu items into four categories:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Popular high-profitability items&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Popular low-profitability items&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unpopular high-profitability items&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unpopular low-profitability items.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Knowing which menu item is which can help solve some dilemmas.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do this, you\u2019ll need the following data:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Menu item sales data:<\/strong> This includes the number of units sold, selling price and revenue generated for an individual menu item over a specific period, generally no less than a month up to a quarter. Be sure to include any promotional items or limited time offers (LTOs) as metrics from these can offer further insights.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ingredient cost:<\/strong> For each menu item, the cost of each ingredient used must be tracked. This includes costs such as raw materials, spices, sauces and garnishes.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Menu item contribution margin:<\/strong> Calculate the contribution margin for each menu item by subtracting the ingredient cost from the selling price. The contribution margin shows the profit generated by each item before considering other overhead costs.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Menu item cost percentage:<\/strong> Calculate the cost percentage for each menu item by dividing the ingredient cost by the selling price and multiplying by 100. The cost percentage shows the proportion of the selling price that goes towards covering the ingredient cost.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Seasonal ingredient costs:<\/strong> Consider any seasonal variations in ingredient costs as this can affect the profitability of certain menu items during specific times of the year.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Menu item cost history:<\/strong> Review historical ingredient cost data to find any significant fluctuations that may have affected profitability in the past.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You should be able to find the information needed by using data from the point of sale, inventory and accounting systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can view all the information on a single dashboard using an account platform that integrates with other systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This way you\u2019re not having to switch between platforms.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, you can look at this information by location, so you can easily compare efficiency.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By collecting and analyzing this information, you can find which menu items contribute the most to your profits and which ones may need adjustments to improve profitability.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This data-driven approach allows you to make informed decisions about pricing, promotions, and menu design to control costs effectively while keeping the overall quality of the menu offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also read our step-by-step guide on how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/what-is-markup-percentage\/\">calculate the selling price using markup percentage<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tracking-costs-nbsp-nbsp\"><strong>Tracking costs&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Using the right accounting platform can help you cut costs while maintaining quality, allowing you to track and categorize expenses accurately.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a clear breakdown of costs, you can find areas where spending is high and take steps to drive down costs.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Regularly analyzing reports can highlight potential inefficiencies and cost-saving opportunities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some of the areas where a sophisticated, multi-dimensional accounting platform can provide insights:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cost<\/strong><strong> <\/strong><strong>of<\/strong><strong> <\/strong><strong>goods<\/strong><strong> <\/strong><strong>sold (COGS) analysis:<\/strong> By closely watching COGS, you can identify trends, seasonal fluctuations and discrepancies. This information enables you to negotiate better prices with suppliers and make smarter purchasing decisions.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Budgeting and forecasting:<\/strong> You can create budgets and financial forecasts. These projections help in setting realistic financial goals and targets, allowing you to plan better and make informed decisions to avoid overspending.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Automated invoicing and billing:<\/strong> You can automate invoicing and billing processes, reducing the time spent on administrative tasks and minimizing the chance of errors or missed payments.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Payroll management:<\/strong> Payroll expenses are a significant part of a restaurant\u2019s overall costs. You can streamline payroll processes, ensuring correct and prompt payments to employees, minimizing errors and avoiding unnecessary labor expenses.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cash flow management:<\/strong> You can get insights into cash flow patterns, enabling you to manage working capital efficiently and avoid unnecessary borrowing costs.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-bottom-line-nbsp\"><strong>The bottom line<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite rising costs, you can still maintain a healthy profit level without raising your prices to a level where you lose valuable customers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting a better handle on costs doesn\u2019t have to be difficult, and you can grow your bottom link.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the right tools, it\u2019s easier than it sounds.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;6a2e0f62c0309&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"6a2e0f62c0309\" class=\"wp-block-image size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/03\/Restaurant-image-Bill-blog.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/03\/Restaurant-image-Bill-blog.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/03\/Restaurant-image-Bill-blog-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/03\/Restaurant-image-Bill-blog-684x384.jpg 684w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/food-beverage\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFood &amp; beverage\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-36402 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-accounting-101 tag-boss-your-business tag-business-continuity tag-cash-flow tag-cloud-technology tag-food-beverage tag-growing-a-business tag-productivity tag-small-business tag-starting-a-business tag-staying-competitive business_type-small-business business_type-growing-business industry-food-beverage card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1214156032-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Chef on duty\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1214156032-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1214156032-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1214156032-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-01T07:05:27-04:00\">May 1, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">11 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/restaurant-franchise-accounting\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tRestaurant franchise accounting best practices and tips\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tRestaurant franchise accounting doesn\u2019t have to be complicated, but managing your finances effectively takes a clear strategy and the right tools. Explore how you can simplify your processes while staying compliant and helping every location thrive.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-36075 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations tag-boss-your-business tag-business-continuity tag-business-intelligence tag-business-strategy tag-food-beverage tag-growing-a-business tag-productivity tag-small-business business_type-small-business business_type-growing-business industry-food-beverage industry-hospitality\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/multi-unit-restaurant-management\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1330025921-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1330025921-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1330025921-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1330025921-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-04-14T09:35:00-04:00\">April 14, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">14 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tMulti-unit restaurant management: How to scale operations efficiently\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-36067 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations tag-boss-your-business tag-business-continuity tag-business-strategy tag-food-beverage tag-growing-a-business tag-productivity tag-small-business tag-starting-a-business tag-staying-competitive business_type-small-business business_type-growing-business industry-food-beverage industry-hospitality\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/franchise-restaurant-business-plan\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1297061487-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Waiter holding food at a restaurant\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1297061487-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1297061487-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1297061487-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-04-14T09:00:00-04:00\">April 14, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">9 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow to create a franchise restaurant business plan\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-34394 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-trends-insights tag-business-strategy tag-food-beverage tag-staying-competitive business_type-growing-business industry-food-beverage industry-hospitality\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/restaurant-lodging-franchisees-multi-brand-strategies\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1266851696-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1266851696-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1266851696-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1266851696-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-01-30T11:05:47-05:00\">January 30, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">7 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow restaurant and lodging franchisees grow through multi-brand strategies\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-34270 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters tag-accounting-101 tag-food-beverage business_type-growing-business industry-food-beverage industry-hospitality\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/labor-cost-control-multi-unit-restaurants\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1296818594-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1296818594-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1296818594-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1296818594-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-01-29T09:09:27-05:00\">January 29, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">5 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tMastering labor cost control: how multi-unit restaurant operators can leverage Sage Intacct\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how the right tools can help you to reduce the chance of rising costs cutting into your restaurant\u2019s profits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1427,"featured_media":20152,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[269],"business_type":[40,41],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[52,452],"persona":[],"imagine_tag":[466,436],"coauthors":[609],"class_list":["post-22302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-food-beverage","business_type-small-business","business_type-growing-business","industry-food-beverage","industry-hospitality"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Bill Fuesz","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1355237717.jpg","imagine_tags":{"466":"Food &amp; Beverage","436":"Intacct Accounting"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22302","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1427"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22302"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22302\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/20152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22302"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=22302"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=22302"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=22302"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=22302"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=22302"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=22302"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=22302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}