Average cheque is the average amount of revenue generated per guest or per transaction over a defined period. In restaurants, it is commonly used to understand guest spending and to compare sales performance across dayparts, locations or menu periods. It is also called average check or average spend per cover.
Average cheque per cover = Net sales ÷ Number of covers
If the restaurant is measuring transactions rather than guests, use the number of checks instead of covers and label the metric clearly.
A restaurant records $9,000 in net food and beverage sales from 180 guests during dinner.
$9,000 ÷ 180 covers = $50 average cheque per cover.
Define whether the calculation includes tax, service charges, discounts, complimentary items and tips. For meaningful comparisons, use the same sales definition and cover-count method each period.
Chef’s tip: Improve average cheque by offering a menu that makes sense for the guest and by training staff to explain pairings and additions naturally. Do not use pressure selling or confuse higher spend with better guest experience.
Related terms: Table turn and RevPASH.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
