Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Break-even covers per day
95
Break-even covers per month
2,462
Break-even monthly sales
$59,077
Contribution margin per cover
$13.00
Psst — share this and help Rex grow
One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter fixed costs per month ($).
- 2Enter average check per cover ($).
- 3Enter variable cost per cover (food + variable labor) ($).
- 4Enter operating days per month.
- 5Read your break-even covers per day on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Break-even covers tells you the number of guests you must serve to cover all costs before turning a profit. It starts with your fixed monthly costs — rent, insurance, base salaries, loan payments — and divides by the contribution margin per cover (average check minus variable cost per cover, which includes food cost and variable labor). The result is monthly break-even covers, which this calculator also converts into a daily target based on your operating days, so a manager can see it as an actionable per-shift number rather than an abstract monthly figure. This is essential before signing a lease, adding a location, or evaluating whether a slow season threatens solvency. It's also useful for testing 'what if' scenarios: raising the average check by $2 or cutting variable cost per cover by $1 can lower break-even covers by hundreds per month, which is often a more realistic lever than trying to sell more seats in a space that's already full at peak.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Fixed costs per month: 32000 $
- Average check per cover: 24 $
- Variable cost per cover (food + variable labor): 11 $
- Operating days per month: 26
Results
- Break-even covers per day: 95
- Break-even covers per month: 2,462
- Break-even monthly sales: $59,077
- Contribution margin per cover: $13.00
What each field means
Inputs
- Fixed costs per month ($)
- The fixed costs per month used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 32000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Average check per cover ($)
- The average check per cover used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 24 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Variable cost per cover (food + variable labor) ($)
- The variable cost per cover (food + variable labor) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 11 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Operating days per month
- The operating days per month used in the calculation. Starts at 26 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–31.
Results
- Break-even covers per day
- Returned as a whole number and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Break-even covers per month
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Break-even monthly sales
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Contribution margin per cover
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What counts as a fixed cost here?
Rent, property insurance, base management salaries, loan or equipment lease payments, and any subscription or license fees that don't change with covers served. Utilities are often split — a base amount is fixed and usage above that is variable.
What if I'm already above break-even covers most days?
Good — that means every additional cover above break-even drops straight to profit at the contribution margin rate. Focus growth energy on your slowest days and dayparts since that's where you're closest to or below break-even.
How does raising prices affect break-even covers?
It lowers the number of covers needed because contribution margin per cover goes up. A $1 price increase on a $24 check with $13 contribution margin raises margin to $14, cutting break-even covers by about 7% — often more impactful than trying to drive extra traffic.
Should delivery and catering covers count the same as dine-in?
No — model them separately if commission fees or catering-specific costs change the variable cost per cover meaningfully. A blended average check across channels can hide a delivery channel that's actually running below break-even.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Prime Cost Calculator
Combine food cost and labor cost into the single number that predicts survival.
Seat Turnover Calculator
How many times each seat turns during service and the revenue impact.
Food Cost Percentage Calculator
Find your plate cost as a share of menu price and where it lands vs. target.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Break-Even Covers Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/break-even-covers
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/break-even-covers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Break-Even Covers Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Break-Even Covers Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/break-even-covers) (2026).