Most sandwich shops lose money on delivery orders without realizing it. You might think you're making profit, but packaging costs and platform fees eat away your margins. Here's how to price your sandwiches correctly so you actually make money on every sale.
All costs you need to include
A sandwich carries way more expenses than just the filling between two slices of bread. Miss these hidden costs and you'll watch your profits disappear.
- Ingredients: bread, fillings, vegetables, sauces
- Packaging: container, bag, napkin, stickers
- Delivery costs: time, fuel, platform fees
- Other costs: labor, rent, energy
Calculate ingredient costs
List every single ingredient that touches your sandwich. Don't skip the tiny portions - that dollop of mayo and pickle slice add up over hundreds of orders.
💡 Example: Club sandwich
Ingredients per sandwich:
- Bread (3 slices): €0.45
- Chicken (80g): €1.20
- Bacon (2 slices): €0.60
- Lettuce, tomato, cucumber: €0.35
- Mayonnaise, mustard: €0.15
Total ingredients: €2.75
Add packaging costs
Those containers and bags seem cheap individually, but they're quietly draining your bottom line. Every wrapper, sticker, and napkin needs accounting for.
💡 Example: Packaging costs
- Cardboard container: €0.25
- Paper bag: €0.08
- Napkin: €0.03
- Logo sticker: €0.04
Total packaging: €0.40
Calculate delivery costs
Here's where most kitchen managers discover too late they've been bleeding money. Platform fees alone can destroy your margins if you don't price accordingly.
- Platform fee: 15-30% of order value
- Own delivery: time + fuel (€2-4 per trip)
- Payment costs: 2-3% for online payments
⚠️ Note:
Platform fees get calculated on your selling price. Higher prices mean higher fees. You need to factor this into your cost calculations upfront.
Calculate total cost price
Time to add everything up and see your real costs. This number tells you the absolute minimum you need to charge just to break even.
💡 Example: Total cost price
- Ingredients: €2.75
- Packaging: €0.40
- Platform fee (25% of €8.50): €2.13
- Payment costs (3% of €8.50): €0.26
Total costs: €5.54 on sales of €8.50
Food cost: 65% - that's way too high!
Determine selling price
Aim for food costs between 25-35% to maintain healthy profits. Work backwards from your total costs to find your minimum viable price.
Formula: Minimum selling price = Total costs / (Desired food cost % / 100)
💡 Example: Calculate correct price
Costs without platform fee: €3.15
Target food cost: 30%
Minimum price: €3.15 / 0.30 = €10.50
Platform fee (25%): €2.63
Actual food cost: €5.78 / €10.50 = 55%
Tips for better margins
- Bundle products: Sell sandwich + drink combos to spread platform fees across multiple items
- Minimum order value: Set delivery minimums of €15-20 to make platform fees worthwhile
- Own delivery: Consider switching to in-house delivery for high-volume areas
- Optimize packaging: Buy containers in bulk to slash per-unit costs
How do you calculate the price for a sandwich? (step by step)
Calculate ingredient costs
Add up all ingredients: bread, fillings, vegetables, sauces. Also include small amounts like butter and mustard. Use your actual purchase prices, not estimated amounts.
Add packaging costs
Include all packaging materials: container, bag, napkin, stickers. These costs seem small but can make up 10-15% of your cost price for delivery.
Calculate delivery and platform costs
Platform fees are 15-30% of your selling price. Also factor in payment costs (2-3%). These costs largely determine whether delivery is profitable.
Determine your selling price
Divide your total costs by your desired food cost percentage (for example 30%). This gives you the minimum selling price to be profitable.
✨ Pro tip
Track your top 3 sandwich varieties over the next 30 days - they likely represent 70% of your total revenue. Fix their pricing first and you'll see immediate margin improvements.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need to include VAT in my cost price calculation?
Always calculate food costs excluding VAT. Food carries 9% VAT, so a €10.90 sandwich including tax equals €10.00 for your calculations.
How often should I adjust my prices?
Review ingredient costs monthly and adjust prices if costs jump more than 5%. Platform fees change too, so monitor those quarterly.
What if my competitor is cheaper?
Calculate whether they can actually turn a profit at that price. Many competitors forget hidden costs or operate on unsustainable margins.
📚 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
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (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.
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