The balance between beverages and food determines your profitability. Many coffee concepts focus too heavily on one side, leaving money on the table. In this article, you'll learn how to use data to find the right mix for your concept.
Analyze your current margin per category
Start by calculating your profit margin on beverages versus food. Most coffee concepts have very different margins on these categories.
💡 Example:
Coffee concept with 60% beverage, 40% food revenue:
- Cappuccino: €3.20 - cost price €0.85 = €2.35 profit (73% margin)
- Ham/cheese toastie: €6.50 - cost price €2.80 = €3.70 profit (57% margin)
- Cake: €4.20 - cost price €1.90 = €2.30 profit (55% margin)
Beverages have higher margin, but food has higher absolute profit per item.
Calculate for both categories:
- Cost price percentage: (Purchase costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
- Absolute profit per item: Selling price - cost price
- Average transaction value per category
Check your capacity and labor costs
Beverages and food require different investments in time, space, and staff. This affects your actual profitability.
💡 Example labor costs:
Per hour your barista can make:
- 40 coffees at €3.20 = €128 revenue
- 15 hot toasties at €6.50 = €97.50 revenue
- 25 cold sandwiches at €5.80 = €145 revenue
At €18/hour labor costs: cold sandwiches have the best revenue per labor hour.
Factors to check:
- Preparation time: How many items can your team make per hour?
- Kitchen equipment: Do you have space and budget for more food equipment?
- Inventory: Food has shorter shelf life and higher waste risk
- Peak hours: Can you make both coffee and food quickly during rush times?
Look at your target audience and location
Your customers determine which focus makes the most sense. Analyze your current sales figures by time of day and customer type.
⚠️ Note:
Look at your cash register data from the past 3 months. One good week tells you little - seasons and trends affect the beverage/food ratio.
Signals for more focus on beverages:
- Lots of foot traffic (station, shopping center)
- Short sitting time (average under 30 minutes)
- Peak hours early morning and afternoon
- Many takeaway orders
Signals for more focus on food:
- Longer sitting time (working on laptop, meetings)
- Lunch and evening traffic
- Larger tables, more groups
- Location where people have time (residential area, university neighborhood)
Test and measure your adjustments
Make small adjustments and measure the impact over at least 4 weeks. This shows you what really works for your situation.
💡 Example test:
Month 1: Add 3 new lunch items
- Measure: revenue 11:30-14:00
- Measure: average transaction value lunch
- Measure: number of covers lunch vs. coffee-only
Month 2: Add specialty coffees and compare results.
Measure these KPIs:
- Revenue ratio: % beverages vs. % food per week
- Average transaction value: Does this increase with more food focus?
- Sitting time: Longer sitting time = less revenue per seat per day
- Waste: How much food do you throw away at the end of the day?
The golden rule for coffee concepts
Most successful coffee concepts use a 70/30 ratio: 70% focus on what they do best, 30% on the other category as a supplement.
If your location and target audience mainly want quick, quality coffee: focus on beverages with simple food as an addition. If your customers have time and are hungry: focus on food with good coffee as the foundation.
How do you determine your optimal beverage/food ratio?
Calculate your margin per category
Work out what you earn on beverages versus food. Use the formula: (Selling price - Cost price) / Selling price × 100. Measure this over at least 4 weeks for a reliable picture.
Analyze your capacity and labor costs
Check how many items your team can make per hour in both categories. Calculate revenue per labor hour: (Number of items × Price) / Labor costs per hour. This shows your actual profitability.
Test adjustments and measure results
Make small changes and measure your revenue ratio, average transaction value, and waste for 4 weeks. Compare with your baseline to see what really works for your concept.
✨ Pro tip
Check your cash register data between 11:30-14:00. If more than 40% of your customers order only coffee during lunch, you're missing revenue with food. If less than 20%, you might be focusing too much on food at the expense of your coffee quality.
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
What is a good beverage/food ratio for coffee concepts?
This depends on your location and target audience. High-traffic locations often run 80/20 (beverage/food), while sit-down concepts can run 60/40 or 50/50. Measure your own figures over at least 3 months.
How do I calculate the cost price of my coffee correctly?
Add up: coffee beans, milk, sugar, cup/mug, lid, stirrer. Don't forget the depreciation of your espresso machine (divide purchase price by expected number of coffees). Always calculate excl. 9% VAT.
Should I adjust my menu if I want to focus more on food?
Yes, but gradually. First add 2-3 food items and measure the impact. Too much choice slows down decisions and increases waste. Start with items that have longer shelf life.
How do I prevent waste with more food focus?
Start small, track your sales figures per day/hour, and adjust your purchases accordingly. Choose items with longer shelf life or that you can use for multiple dishes. Measure waste weekly.
What if my beverage margin is much higher than food margin?
That's normal. Beverages often have 60-80% margin, food 40-60%. But food can increase your average transaction value. Check the absolute profit per customer, not just the percentage.
📚 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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