Before you roll out beverage menu changes next month, you need to know exactly what they'll do to your bottom line. Price adjustments, brand switches, or product mix changes directly impact your average guest spend. The smart move? Calculate the financial impact first, then decide.
Calculate your current beverage revenue per guest
Start by pulling your POS data from the past 3 months. You need a solid baseline before making any changes.
- Total beverage revenue (excl. VAT)
- Number of guests in the same period
- Average beverage spending per guest
? Example current situation:
Restaurant with 2,400 guests over 3 months:
- Beverage revenue: €18,000 (excl. 21% VAT)
- Number of guests: 2,400
- Average per guest: €18,000 ÷ 2,400 = €7.50
Analyze your proposed changes
Map out exactly what you're changing. Be specific about each category and its expected impact:
- Price changes: How much up or down in percentage?
- New products: Expected popularity and price
- Discontinued products: Current revenue share
- Brand switch: Price difference between old and new
? Example changes:
- Beer: from €3.50 to €4.00 (+14%)
- Wine per glass: from €5.50 to €6.00 (+9%)
- New cocktails: €9.00 (expectation: 15% of guests order)
- Current mixed drinks discontinued (now €4.50, 20% of guests)
Calculate the impact per product category
For each change, work through the math using your current sales as the foundation. This is a pattern we see repeatedly in restaurant financials - operators who skip this step often face unpleasant surprises three months later.
Price increase formula:
New revenue = (Current revenue × new price) ÷ old price
New products formula:
Extra revenue = Expected sales × new price
⚠️ Note:
Price increases can cause demand to drop. For safety, calculate with 5-10% less volume for increases above 10%.
Calculate through to monthly revenue
Add all changes together and convert to a monthly figure:
- Sum of all revenue changes per product category
- Divide by 3 (from quarterly figure to monthly figure)
- Add to current monthly revenue
? Example final calculation:
Impact of all changes over 3 months:
- Beer increase: +€840 (€6,000 × 1.14 - €6,000)
- Wine increase: +€270 (€3,000 × 1.09 - €3,000)
- New cocktails: +€810 (2,400 guests × 15% × €9)
- Discontinued mixed drinks: -€1,080 (2,400 × 20% × €4.50)
Net impact per month: (€840 + €270 + €810 - €1,080) ÷ 3 = +€280
Check your pour cost
Don't forget to verify that your profit margin per drink stays healthy after the changes. For alcoholic beverages, aim for a pour cost of 18-25%.
Pour cost formula:
(Cost per serving ÷ Selling price excl. 21% VAT) × 100
Tools that track pour cost automatically save you time here, especially when you're adjusting multiple prices at once.
Related articles
How do you calculate the impact of beverage menu changes?
Gather your current beverage figures
Pull POS data from the last 3 months: total beverage revenue excl. VAT, number of guests, and average beverage spending per guest. This is your starting point for all calculations.
Create an overview of all changes
List all proposed changes: price adjustments, new products, discontinued items, and brand switches. For each change, estimate the expected popularity and impact.
Calculate the revenue impact per change
Use the formula (current revenue × new price) ÷ old price for price changes. For new products: expected sales × new price. Add everything up and divide by 3 for monthly figure.
✨ Pro tip
Track your actual results against your forecast after 8 weeks of the new menu. This comparison will sharpen your forecasting skills for future changes.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
Should I include VAT in my impact calculation?
How do I forecast demand drop from price increases?
What if I don't have detailed sales data?
How often should I evaluate my beverage menu?
What is a good pour cost for different drink types?
Should I test menu changes on a smaller scale first?
How do seasonal factors affect beverage revenue calculations?
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.
kennisbank.more_in_category
Related questions
Explore more topics
Calculate your cocktail costs down to the ml
Drink margins seem high, but spillage and free pours eat them up. KitchenNmbrs calculates the exact cost price of every cocktail and drink. Try it free.
Start free trial →