1. Sales, but by week
The first number is revenue. On a weekly P&L you can see a soft Tuesday or a strong event week while you can still react, instead of finding out four weeks later. Compare it to the same week last year and to your forecast, not just to last week.
2. Prime cost is the line that matters
Prime cost is cost of goods plus labor. For most full-service restaurants it should land in the low-to-mid 60s as a percentage of sales; fast casual often runs lower. If prime cost creeps, nothing below it can save the week. Watch it weekly, not monthly.
3. Cost of goods, by category
Break COGS into food, beverage and any sub-categories that move. A spike in one category is usually a price increase or a portioning problem, and it is far cheaper to catch this week than at month-end.
4. Labor against target
Labor as a percentage of sales tells you whether you scheduled to demand. The useful version is labor versus your target for that volume, by location, with overtime flagged before it is paid.
5. Flow-through to the bottom
Finally, what actually fell to operating profit. A good weekly P&L ties the top line to the bottom line so you can see which lever moved the result, and decide what to do about it before next week.
The catch: a weekly P&L is only useful if it is reconciled and on time. That is exactly what Kit delivers, finalized within 36 hours of week-end, closed by a dedicated accountant and analyzed by AI.