Analysis
The Death of Prep: Why ‘Chefless’ Kitchens Are the Only Way to Hit the 65% Prime Cost Rule in 2026
Let’s skip the corporate buzzwords and look at the actual P&L. By Q3 2026, the traditional metric of keeping prime costs (food plus labor) under 65% of gross revenue has shifted from a benchmark to a brutal survival threshold. With baseline wage floors permanently elevated across every major metro area, operators can no longer out-earn […]
