Cover
Example: A neighborhood trattoria says it did 180 covers on Saturday, meaning 180 guests were seated and served, and the owner multiplies that by the average check to estimate the night's revenue.
one customer served
One customer seated and served. The restaurant industry's base unit of sales volume. "We did 180 covers on Saturday" means 180 customers came in and ate.
Why it matters
Covers per day × average check = revenue. Most restaurant math starts here. When comparing shifts, locations, or seasons, covers are the cleaner metric than revenue because they're not distorted by menu-pricing changes. The Break-Even Covers calculator answers "how many covers/day does my fixed overhead demand?"
Frequently asked
What is cover?
Cover is one customer seated and served. The restaurant industry's base unit of sales volume. "We did 180 covers on Saturday" means 180 customers came in and ate.
Why does cover matter for a restaurant?
Covers per day × average check = revenue. Most restaurant math starts here. When comparing shifts, locations, or seasons, covers are the cleaner metric than revenue because they're not distorted by menu-pricing changes. The Break-Even Covers calculator answers "how many covers/day does my fixed overhead demand?"
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