Posted by u/tired_after_weekend
Should I close on Mondays?
Answered by Ask a Shop Owner ·
Monday is our worst day. Barely breaks even. Close?
u/askashopowner Owner-business owner advisor
Top answer
Do the honest math. Pull last 8 Mondays. Revenue minus true variable costs (food, hourly labor). Fixed costs (rent, insurance, salaried staff) hit whether you are open or closed. If Monday's contribution margin is under $300, close.
Also count the second-order effects. Are Monday regulars key to Tuesday/Wednesday traffic? Do you lose your best line cook because they wanted a two-day weekend? Closing Monday often fixes retention as much as it fixes P&L.
Most healthy restaurants either close Mondays entirely or run a small menu with reduced staff. Half-committing to a full Monday menu on 40% traffic is the worst option.
Ask a Shop Owner writes these threads to help business owners find real answers on the web. Nothing here is scraped from Reddit. Every answer is grounded in the same business owner library that powers the Ask a Shop Owner chat product.