A pasta dish selling for €18.50 might seem profitable at €4.20 in ingredients, but that €1.00 worth of containers, bags, and cutlery changes everything. Most restaurant owners calculate ingredient costs religiously but overlook packaging expenses. For takeaway operations, this oversight can inflate your actual costs by 2-5% without warning.
Why include packaging costs?
Takeaway packaging isn't optional—it's part of your product. You wouldn't serve a steak without counting the potatoes, so don't send pasta without accounting for its container. Ignoring these expenses creates a false picture of profitability that'll bite you later.
⚠️ Note:
Packaging costs can add up to €1.50 per order. With an average order value of €25, that's 6% of your revenue that disappears.
Which packaging costs do you include?
- Primary packaging: Containers, boxes, bowls per dish
- Secondary packaging: Sauce containers, cutlery, napkins
- Transport packaging: Bags, boxes, insulation material
- Extras: Stickers, labels, tape
💡 Example pasta order:
Pasta ingredients: €4.20
- Pasta container: €0.35
- Lid: €0.15
- Sauce container: €0.12
- Plastic fork: €0.08
- Napkin: €0.05
- Carry bag: €0.25
Total packaging costs: €1.00
Calculation per dish vs. per order
Two approaches work for tracking packaging expenses:
Method 1: Per dish
Assign direct packaging to individual items. That container, lid, and fork belong specifically to the pasta dish.
Method 2: Per order
Split shared costs across all dishes. After managing kitchen operations for nearly a decade, I've found this method works better for items like bags and stickers. If your average order contains 2.3 dishes, divide bag costs by 2.3.
💡 Example calculation:
Carry bag costs €0.25 per order
Average 2.5 dishes per order
Bag cost per dish: €0.25 ÷ 2.5 = €0.10
Impact on your food cost percentage
Packaging costs bump up your total cost price, which increases food cost percentages. This is expected for takeaway operations—don't panic.
💡 Before and after comparison:
Pasta sale €18.50 (€16.97 excl. VAT)
- Ingredients only: €4.20 = 24.7% food cost
- With packaging: €5.20 = 30.6% food cost
Difference: 5.9 percentage points higher due to packaging
Price adjustment for takeaway
Most restaurants charge slightly more for takeaway orders. Extra packaging costs justify surcharges of €0.50 to €1.50 per dish.
Alternative approach: add a fixed packaging fee per order (like €1.50) rather than inflating individual dish prices.
Administration and registration
Track which packaging goes with each dish. Create a detailed list of materials and per-unit costs. Update this regularly—suppliers love raising prices.
Food cost calculators can add packaging costs as recipe ingredients, automatically calculating true cost prices for you.
How do you calculate packaging costs? (step by step)
Create a packaging list
Write down all packaging materials you use: containers, lids, cutlery, bags, etc. Note the purchase price per unit. Also include small items like napkins and stickers.
Calculate costs per dish
Determine which packaging goes with each dish. Main course gets container + lid, side dish gets separate container. Shared costs (bag, cutlery) you divide by the average number of dishes per order.
Add to ingredient costs
Add the packaging costs to your existing ingredient costs. Divide this sum by your selling price excl. VAT to get your actual food cost percentage.
✨ Pro tip
Track your packaging waste for 2 weeks—you'll likely find 8-12% gets damaged or used incorrectly. Build this waste factor into your cost calculations to avoid nasty profit surprises.
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 often should I update my packaging costs?
Check monthly for high-volume operations, quarterly for smaller restaurants. Packaging prices fluctuate frequently due to raw material costs and shipping changes.
Can I pass packaging costs on to customers separately?
You can, but most restaurants build costs into menu prices. Separate packaging fees often annoy customers and appear cheap.
What is a normal packaging cost per dish?
Standard takeaway packaging runs €0.30 to €0.80 per dish. Premium containers or complex dishes can push costs to €1.20.
Should I also account for wasted packaging?
Yes, add 5-10% extra for damaged or misused materials. This prevents your cost calculations from being unrealistically low.
📚 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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