Most café owners think a popular menu automatically equals profit - but that's completely wrong. You can have lines out the door while bleeding money on every plate. The secret lies in balancing what customers crave with what actually pays your bills.
Start with your cost prices
You can't build profitability on guesswork. Every single item needs precise costing - from your signature sandwich to that specialty latte.
💡 Example lunch cost price:
Club sandwich with fries:
- Bread: €0.65
- Chicken: €2.10
- Bacon: €0.90
- Vegetables: €0.45
- Fries: €0.30
- Sauces: €0.25
Total ingredients: €4.65
At €16.50 selling price (excl. VAT €15.14), that's a 30.7% food cost. Solid territory for lunch items.
Analyze popularity and profitability
Sort your current offerings into these 4 buckets:
- Stars: Popular and profitable (food cost under 30%)
- Plowhorses: Popular but expensive food cost (above 35%)
- Puzzles: Low sales but good margin
- Dogs: Poor selling and expensive food cost
⚠️ Watch out:
Most lunch spots carry way too many 'Dogs.' Cut anything that both sells poorly AND drains your margins.
Based on real restaurant P&L data, establishments with more than 20% 'Dogs' on their menu struggle to hit 15% net profit margins.
Coffee as a profit maker
Coffee delivers incredible margins - but only if you price it right:
💡 Example coffee economics:
Cappuccino:
- Coffee beans: €0.22
- Milk: €0.18
- Cup + sugar: €0.05
Total: €0.45 at €3.50 selling price = 12.9% food cost
Bundle strategically. A €12 lunch plus €2.50 coffee feels like better value than a standalone €16 lunch.
Menu engineering in practice
Position your money-makers where eyes naturally land:
- Top right: Prime real estate for your 'Stars'
- Anchor pricing: One pricey item makes everything else look reasonable
- Descriptions: Emotional language boosts sales 10-15%
Don't overwhelm customers. Six to eight lunch choices plus four to five coffee specialties hits the sweet spot.
Season and timing
Smart operators adjust with the calendar and clock:
💡 Example seasonal adjustment:
Winter: hearty soups and comfort food
Summer: fresh salads and chilled beverages
That tomato soup? €1.20 per portion in winter, €2.10 in summer thanks to produce costs.
Track ingredient prices monthly. Suppliers love sneaky price hikes, and tools like KitchenNmbrs can help you catch them before they wreck your margins.
How do you create a profitable lunch-coffee menu?
Calculate exact cost price per item
Add up all ingredients for each dish and coffee variant. Don't forget garnish, sauces, and packaging. Calculate what your food cost percentage is per item.
Analyze sales figures from last month
See which items sell the most and which sell the least. Combine this with your cost prices to identify your Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles, and Dogs.
Optimize your menu layout
Place profitable items prominently in the top right. Remove poorly performing items. Create lunch+coffee combo deals to increase your average bill.
✨ Pro tip
Track food costs on your top 3 lunch sellers and 2 coffee bestsellers every Tuesday morning. These 5 items typically represent 60-70% of your total food revenue.
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
How many items should I have on my lunch menu?
Six to eight lunch mains work best. More choices slow down ordering and balloon your inventory costs. Cover the bases: meat, fish, vegetarian, and one solid vegan option.
Should I make coffee cheaper to sell more?
Absolutely not. Coffee already runs 10-15% food cost - practically printing money. Focus on quality improvements or combo deals instead. Premium coffee at fair prices outsells cheap coffee every time.
How often should I adjust my menu?
Monthly price checks, seasonal swaps twice yearly. Major overhauls should happen 2-3 times annually max - frequent changes confuse regulars and stress your kitchen team.
What is a healthy food cost for lunch items?
Target 25-35% for lunch dishes. Soups and salads can run leaner at 20-28%, while proteins might hit 30-35%. Keep coffee under 15% - anything higher means you're doing something very wrong.
Should I prioritize volume or margin?
Margin first, volume second. Lock in healthy food costs under 35%, then chase traffic through smart positioning and bundling. High volume with thin margins just means working harder for less money.
How do I handle suppliers who raise prices mid-contract?
Build price escalation clauses into agreements and maintain backup supplier relationships. Switch immediately if increases exceed 8-10% without warning - loyalty doesn't pay the bills.
📚 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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