Bottomless brunch margins can disappear faster than bubbles if you don't track actual prosecco consumption per guest. Most restaurant owners calculate based on bottle cost alone, ignoring that unlimited drinks mean guests consume 3-5 glasses instead of the usual 1-2. Your profit depends on per-person consumption, not per-bottle pricing.
The real cost of bottomless prosecco
Normal lunch guests average 1-2 glasses of prosecco. But bottomless brunch? That jumps to 3-5 glasses per person, sometimes more. A 0.75 liter bottle yields approximately 5 glasses at 150ml each.
? Example:
Bottomless brunch for €35 per person, guest drinks 4 glasses of prosecco:
- Prosecco purchase: €8 per bottle
- 5 glasses per bottle = €1.60 per glass
- 4 glasses = €6.40 in prosecco per guest
Beverage costs: €6.40 of your €35 = 18.3%
Calculate VAT correctly (important!)
Prosecco carries 21% VAT, not the 9% rate for food. So your €35 bottomless brunch equals €28.93 excluding VAT. Your beverage costs eat up a bigger chunk of net revenue than you think.
⚠️ Note:
Mixed brunch offerings create mixed VAT rates. Food gets 9%, prosecco gets 21%. Split these calculations for accurate margins.
Formula for prosecco margin calculation
For bottomless prosecco, use this formula:
Prosecco cost per person = (Average glasses consumed × Cost per glass)
Margin % = ((Selling price - Prosecco costs) / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
? Complete calculation:
Bottomless brunch €35 incl. VAT, guest drinks average 3.5 glasses:
- Selling price excl. VAT: €35 / 1.21 = €28.93
- Prosecco per glass: €8 / 5 glasses = €1.60
- Cost per guest: 3.5 × €1.60 = €5.60
- Margin: (€28.93 - €5.60) / €28.93 = 80.6%
Net margin on prosecco: 80.6% - that's healthy!
Different prosecco qualities
Your prosecco selection directly impacts margins. Here's what common purchase prices mean for cost per glass:
- Budget prosecco: €4-6 per bottle = €0.80-1.20 per glass
- Mid-range prosecco: €8-12 per bottle = €1.60-2.40 per glass
- Premium prosecco: €15-25 per bottle = €3.00-5.00 per glass
Mid-range works best for bottomless concepts. Budget tastes thin, premium gets expensive fast with heavy consumption. From analyzing actual purchasing data across different restaurant types, mid-range prosecco maintains quality while protecting margins.
How many glasses to calculate per person?
Duration and crowd determine consumption patterns:
- 1.5 hour bottomless: average 2-3 glasses per person
- 2 hour bottomless: average 3-4 glasses per person
- 3+ hour bottomless: average 4-6 glasses per person
⚠️ Note:
Track actual consumption, not guesswork. Monitor bottles opened versus guest count for 2-3 weeks. Real data beats estimates every time.
Calculate total brunch margin
Bottomless brunch involves more than just prosecco. Add up all ingredient costs for true margins:
? Complete brunch calculation:
Bottomless brunch €35 per person:
- Food (eggs, bread, fruit): €8.50
- Prosecco (3.5 glasses): €5.60
- Total ingredient costs: €14.10
- Selling price excl. VAT: €28.93
Total margin: (€28.93 - €14.10) / €28.93 = 51.2%
Using cost calculation tools
Food cost calculators can create bottomless brunch recipes and automatically calculate per-person costs. You input average glasses served, and the system calculates total ingredient costs plus margins.
This helps when you run multiple brunch packages or switch prosecco suppliers regularly. You'll see immediately how new prices affect your bottom line.
How do you calculate the margin on bottomless prosecco? (step by step)
Measure your actual consumption per guest
Track for 2-3 weeks how many bottles of prosecco you open and how many guests you had. Divide bottles by number of guests and multiply by 5 (glasses per bottle) for average number of glasses per person.
Calculate cost per glass and per guest
Divide your purchase price per bottle by 5 (glasses per bottle). Multiply this by your average number of glasses per guest for the total prosecco cost per person.
Calculate your margin including VAT correction
Subtract your prosecco costs from your selling price excl. VAT (brunch price divided by 1.21). Divide this by your selling price excl. VAT and multiply by 100 for your margin percentage.
✨ Pro tip
Track your prosecco consumption for exactly 30 days - count bottles opened versus guest numbers each service. Most operators discover their actual consumption runs 15-20% higher than initial estimates, which can shift margins significantly.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
Calculate it yourself?
Our free food cost calculator does it in seconds.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
How many glasses of prosecco do I get from one bottle?
What is a healthy margin on prosecco at bottomless brunch?
Should I calculate with 9% or 21% VAT at bottomless brunch?
What prosecco quality works best for bottomless brunch?
Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
More in this category
Related questions
Explore more topics
Calculate your breakfast and brunch margins exactly
Breakfast and brunch seem cheap, but buffet waste and portion sizes make it complex. KitchenNmbrs calculates your actual costs per cover. Start free.
Start free trial →