Running a restaurant in Kenya: stop lost orders, unpaid bills and kitchen mix-ups

ShelfWise · Updated 1 November 2026

Restaurants rarely lose money in one big way. It goes in small leaks: an order the kitchen never got, a table that left without paying the second round, a dish sent out free, a float that doesn't add up. Here's how to close them.

1. Every order goes to the kitchen in writing

Shouted orders get forgotten and argued about. Send each order to the kitchen on a ticket, with notes like “no pepper”, and only send new items, so nothing is cooked twice.

2. One running bill per table

Open an order for each table, takeaway or customer name, and add each round to it. When the customer asks for the bill, it's already there, including the drinks from an hour ago.

3. Lock what's gone to the kitchen

Once food has been sent, a waiter shouldn't be able to quietly remove it from the bill. Let only owners or managers change or cancel sent items, and keep a record of who did it.

4. Price dishes from food cost

Work out what each dish costs you in ingredients, then price it so food cost is a sensible share of the menu price. Many restaurants aim for roughly a third, but your rent, staff and portions decide what works for you.

Dish	Ingredient cost	Menu price	Food cost
Beef pilau	KSh 120	KSh 350	34%
Chapati (2)	KSh 25	KSh 60	42%
Tea	KSh 12	KSh 50	24%

Example figures: use your own costs. Recheck when the price of meat, flour or cooking gas changes.

5. Count the drinks

Sodas, water and beer are bought in and easy to lose. Count them like a shop: stock goes down with every sale, and a weekly count shows any gap.

6. Cash up every shift

Start each shift with a counted cash float. At the end, cash in the drawer and M-Pesa received should match the sales. A gap points to a shift, not to the whole month. Matching M-Pesa to sales automatically helps a lot: see connecting M-Pesa.

7. Know your best sellers

Look at what sells each day and week. Keep the dishes that sell and make money, rethink the ones that do neither, and make sure you never run out of the top five.

Common questions

How do I stop waiters from stealing in a restaurant?

Send every order to the kitchen through the till, keep one running bill per table, let only managers cancel items that have gone to the kitchen, and cash up each shift against recorded sales.

What should food cost be in a restaurant?

Many restaurants aim for about a third of the menu price, but it depends on your rent, staff costs and prices. Work out each dish's ingredient cost and price from there.

Do I need a special kitchen printer?

No. An ordinary 58 mm or 80 mm receipt printer works for kitchen tickets with ShelfWise.

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