What does the tspoonlab sales report show and how do you use it?
This article shows you how to use the "Sales report" in tspoonlab to find out how much you’ve sold in a period and how it compares with the previous one, which products, modifiers and customers sell most, what your theoretical Food Cost is and which dishes are most profitable with Menu Engineering. You’ll also see how to filter it, how to export it to Excel and what to check if the sales don’t match your POS (Point of Sale).
This article is for managers, head chefs and cost control managers who analyse their business’s sales in tspoonlab. You need a user profile with the "Reports" permission.
The "Sales report" in tspoonlab uses the sales imported from your POS or recorded in tspoonlab. When a sale is associated with a recipe, an ingredient or material, or a menu, tspoonlab calculates its theoretical consumption according to the recipe costing and obtains the theoretical Food Cost: the percentage of sales that goes on raw materials if everything has been prepared exactly as the recipe costing says.
How do you open the sales report in tspoonlab?
To open the "Sales report" in tspoonlab:
Click "Analysis", in the black bar at the top, and then "Reports".
Click the reports dropdown, at the top left, and select "Sales report".
tspoonlab opens the report with the current month and the active Cost Centre. The period you’re viewing and the comparison period appear below the report name, for example October 2026 vs September 2026.
How do you choose the period of the sales report?
The period of the "Sales report" in tspoonlab is chosen with the dropdowns at the top right:
Month and year: choose the month and year you want to analyse.
"Show by week" or "Show by day": groups the chart data by week or by day.
"Compare with previous period" or "Compare with last year": choose which period the charts and data are compared with. With the previous period, September is compared with August; with last year, September 2026 is compared with September 2025.
Orange arrows: move to the previous or next period.
💡 Tip: For a fair comparison, compare full months. If you compare the current month, which hasn’t finished yet, with a closed month, the drops you see may just be due to the days still to come.
How do you filter the sales report by Cost Centre, customer or other data?
Below the period dropdowns, the "Sales report" in tspoonlab has a row of filters. To choose the Cost Centres for the report:
Click the Cost Centre filter.
Tick one or more Cost Centres. To find one, type its name in "Description..."; to tick them all, click "Select all".
Click "Select". The report adds up the data of all the ticked Cost Centres.
As well as the Cost Centre, you can filter the "Sales report" by:
"Category...": the category of the products sold.
"Customers...": the channel through which you sell, such as the POS, internal sales or a delivery platform.
"Customer type...": the type of sales channel.
"Account...": the analysis account.
"Business lines...": the business line.
"Product group...": the type of product for sale.
What does the “Total sales” block show?
The "Total sales" block of the "Sales report" in tspoonlab summarises the sales for the period in four columns:
"With cost": sales associated with a recipe, an ingredient or a material with a cost.
"Without cost": sales associated with a recipe, an ingredient or a material without a cost.
"Pending": sales not yet associated with any recipe, ingredient or material.
"Total": the sum of the three columns.
The rows of the "Total sales" block separate sales from "Discounts" and "Delivery charges". They also show the "Total theoretical consumption" and the "% Theoretical Food Cost", which appears twice: once calculated without delivery charges and once without delivery charges or discounts.
Theoretical Food Cost example:
In one month you sell €10,000 and the theoretical consumption of those sales, according to your recipe costings, is €2,800.
% Theoretical Food Cost: €2,800 ÷ €10,000 = 0.28, that is, 28%.
Contribution: €10,000 − €2,800 = €7,200.
The "Total sales" chart shows the sales for each day or week of the period next to the "Previous period". Click "More data..." to see the table for each day or week, and "Change view" to switch between two views:
By type of sale: "With cost", "Without cost", "Pending" and "Total" for each day or week.
By result: "Sales", "Discounts", "Delivery charges", "Theoretical consumption", the % Food Cost with its contribution and the adjusted % Food Cost with its contribution for each day or week.
When you view the current month, "Show sales forecast" appears below the "Total sales" chart. Click that option and tspoonlab adds to the chart a forecast of sales for the days left until the end of the month. The forecast is shown in lighter colours and split, like the actual sales, into "Forecast - With cost", "Forecast - Without cost"and "Forecast - Pending". That way, you can anticipate how the month will close before it ends. To see only actual sales again, click "Hide sales forecast".
To download the "Total sales" report, click the three dots at the top right of the block and select "Export report (XLSX)". This report shows the amount of sales for each day of the period.
📢 Important: Sales in the "Pending" column don’t generate theoretical consumption. If you have a lot of sales pending association, the % Theoretical Food Cost comes out lower than it really is. Associate those sales with their recipes, ingredients or materials so the report is reliable.
What does the “Customers with most sales” block show?
The "Customers with most sales" block of the "Sales report" in tspoonlab shows the same data as the "Total sales" block, split by customer or sales channel, for example the POS, internal sales or a delivery platform. Each channel has its own chart.
Click "More data..." to see the sales of each customer: Sales, Discounts, Delivery charges, Theoretical consumption, % Food Cost and adjusted % Food Cost. With "Change view" you see each customer’s sales split into "Sales with cost", "Sales without cost" and "Pending".
To download the "Customers with most sales" report, click the three dots at the top right of the block and select "Export report (XLSX)". This report shows the total amount of each customer in the period.
What does the “Ratios” block show?
The "Ratios" block of the "Sales report" in tspoonlab relates your sales to the number of tickets and guests (Pax) in the period. The "Ratios" block shows six figures:
"Sales": the amount sold in the period.
"Number of tickets": the tickets in the period.
"Number of Pax": the guests in the period.
"Sales per ticket": the average amount of each ticket, that is, sales divided by the number of tickets.
"Sales per Pax": the average spend of each guest, that is, sales divided by the number of Pax.
"Pax per ticket": how many guests there are on average on each ticket, that is, the number of Pax divided by the number of tickets.
To analyse a ratio, select it with the red buttons at the top right of the "Ratios" block. The chart shows that ratio for each day or week: the red bars are the selected period and the solid black line, the comparison period.
Example of reading the "Ratios":
In one month you sell €10,000 across 400 tickets and serve 600 guests.
"Sales per ticket": €10,000 ÷ 400 = €25.00.
"Sales per Pax": €10,000 ÷ 600 = €16.67.
"Pax per ticket": 600 ÷ 400 = 1.5 guests per ticket.
The "Ratios" block is viewed on screen and can’t be exported to Excel.
💡 Tip: If "Sales per Pax" drops even though total sales go up, your customers are each spending less and the increase comes from having more guests. Review the menu, the front-of-house team’s suggestions or the set-price menus.
What does the “Best-selling products by value” block show?
The "Best-selling products by value" block of the "Sales report" in tspoonlabsorts products by the amount sold in the period, from highest to lowest. For each product it shows its amount and the % it represents of total sales. A green or red arrow shows whether the amount has gone up or down compared with the comparison period.
Click a product’s red arrow to see what amount corresponds to each customer or point of sale.
To download the "Best-selling products by value" report, click the three dots at the top right of the block and select "Export report (XLSX)". This report shows Products, % of Sales and Amount.
What does the “Best-selling products by quantity” block show?
The "Best-selling products by quantity" block of the "Sales report" in tspoonlabsorts products by the quantity sold in the period, from highest to lowest. For each product it shows the quantity, the price and the amount, with a green or red arrow if it has gone up or down compared with the comparison period.
The unit filter of the "Best-selling products by quantity" block (for example, "Pax") shows only the products sold in that unit, so you compare like-for-like quantities. To see the products of all units at once, click the cross on the filter.
Click a product’s red arrow to see what quantity and amount correspond to each customer or point of sale.
To download the "Best-selling products by quantity" report, click the three dots at the top right of the block and select "Export report (XLSX)". This report shows Product, Quantity and Unit.
What does the “Best-selling modifiers by quantity” block show?
The "Best-selling modifiers by quantity" block of the "Sales report" in tspoonlabsorts modifiers by the quantity sold, that is, the extras or choices added to a product, such as a side, a mixed drink or extra bacon. For each modifier it shows the product it was added to (parent product) with its %, the quantity sold in the period and the customers that sold it with their %.
Click a modifier’s red arrow to see what quantity and amount correspond to each customer or point of sale.
To download the "Best-selling modifiers by quantity" report, click the three dots at the top right of the block and select "Export report (XLSX)". This report shows Product, Quantity and Unit.
What does the “Best-selling menu products by quantity” block show?
The "Best-selling menu products by quantity" block of the "Sales report" in tspoonlab sorts by quantity sold the products sold inside a menu, for example the dishes your customers choose within a set menu. It helps you find out which options in each menu sell best.
Click the red arrow of each Product or Recipe to see what percentage of its sales corresponds to the Parent product or Menu.
To download the "Best-selling menu products by quantity" report, click the three dots at the top right of the block and select "Export report (XLSX)". This report shows Product, Quantity and Unit.
What does the “Most consumed ingredients from sales (theoretical)” block show?
The "Most consumed ingredients from sales (theoretical)" block of the "Sales report" in tspoonlab sorts raw materials by their theoretical consumption, that is, the quantity you should have used according to the recipe costings of what you’ve sold. It helps you compare that theoretical consumption with your purchases and your actual stock.
To download the "Most consumed ingredients from sales (theoretical)" report, click the three dots at the top right of the block and select "Export report (XLSX)". This report shows Product, Product group, Sales, Theoretical consumption and Unit.
📌 Note: The "Most consumed ingredients from sales (theoretical)" block only takes into account sales associated with a recipe, an ingredient or a material. "Pending" sales don’t generate theoretical consumption, so their raw materials don’t appear in this block.
How do you see the profitability of each dish with Menu Engineering?
The "Profitability" block of the "Sales report" in tspoonlab analyses each product sold and has two tabs: "Menu Engineering" and "Sales".
The "Menu Engineering" tab classifies products by their popularity and their profitability, and places them on a two-axis chart:
Popularity: the % that the quantity sold of a product represents of the total quantity sold of the selected products. A product has high popularity if it exceeds the average percentage popularity.
Profitability: the product’s unit contribution in euros, that is, its selling price minus its unit cost. A product has high profitability if it exceeds the average contribution, marked with a dashed line on the chart.
Above the chart you’ll see the "Number of selected products", the "Average percentage popularity", the "Total quantity sold" and the "Average popularity in quantity". The green dots are the products with high popularity and profitability, the red ones those with both low, and the grey ones those with one high and the other low.
Example of popularity in Menu Engineering:
You select 12 products: the average percentage popularity is 100% ÷ 12 = 8.33%.
In total you’ve sold 6,000 units and a burger has sold 600: its popularity is 600 ÷ 6,000 = 10%.
As 10% exceeds 8.33%, the burger has high popularity.
Click "+ Info" to see what to do with each group of products:
High popularity and high profitability: these are your star dishes. Highlight them on the menu, recommend them and always keep their recipe and presentation.
High popularity and low profitability: they sell well but contribute little. Raise their price gradually, reduce the raw material cost or adjust the portion.
Low popularity and high profitability: they contribute a lot but sell little. Give them more visibility on the menu, ask the front-of-house team to recommend them or review their name.
Low popularity and low profitability: consider removing them, replacing them with another version or offering them only as a daily special.
Below the chart, by selecting "More data", the "Profitability" table opens: it shows for each product the Quantity, Unit, Cost, Total contribution, Sales, Unit cost with its % variation compared with the comparison period, % Food Cost and Unit contribution. Tick or untick each product’s box to include it in or remove it from the chart and the averages.
Example of a dish’s profitability:
You sell 100 burgers at €12.00 each: sales €1,200.
The unit cost according to the recipe costing is €3.60: cost €360.
% Food Cost: €360 ÷ €1,200 = 30%.
Unit contribution: €12.00 − €3.60 = €8.40, and total contribution: €840.
The "Sales" tab shows a bar chart with the sales and theoretical consumption of each product. With "View quantities" and "View sales" you switch between quantity sold and amount.
To download the "Profitability" reports, click the block’s three dots and choose one of these three options:
"Export report (XLSX)": includes only the products of the unit you have filtered on screen, for example "Pax".
"Export report all units (XLSX)": includes all the products sold, whatever their unit.
"Export report by Cost Centre (XLSX)": breaks down each product by Cost Centre and adds the "Cost Centre" and "Centre code" columns.
Image: "Export report (XLSX)"
Image: Export report all units (XLSX)
Image: Export report by Cost Centre (XLSX)
Why don’t the sales in the sales report match my POS?
The "Sales report" in tspoonlab shows the sales imported from the POS. If they don’t match, check these points:
Open or out-of-date tickets: tickets that weren’t closed, or that come in the next day, change the day the sale is assigned to.
Sales pending association: they add up in "Pending" but don’t generate theoretical consumption or Food Cost.
Products without cost: they appear in "Without cost" and lower the theoretical Food Cost. Check the recipe costing and the prices of their ingredients.
Sales units: if a product is sold by the glass, bottle or portion, check that the sales unit deducts the correct quantity of the ingredient.
Still need help? Click the built-in Support Chat in the bottom-right corner of your screen and our team will get back to you.