Picture this: you're running weekend brunch service and notice families with kids ordering differently than your typical adult customers. Children skip the pricey smoked salmon but load up on fruit and pancakes. Understanding these patterns helps you price both menus for maximum profitability.
Why calculate children's brunch differently?
A children's brunch menu isn't just a smaller version of the adult menu. Kids eat different things, in different proportions. They'll often skip expensive items like smoked salmon but grab extra fruit or yogurt instead.
💡 Example adult brunch:
Menu price: €18.50 (incl. 9% VAT) = €16.97 excl. VAT
- Smoked salmon: €2.80
- Avocado: €0.90
- Bread + butter: €0.60
- Scrambled eggs: €1.20
- Garnish + sauce: €0.40
Total ingredient costs: €5.90
Food cost: (€5.90 / €16.97) × 100 = 34.8%
💡 Example children's brunch:
Menu price: €12.50 (incl. 9% VAT) = €11.47 excl. VAT
- Mini pancakes: €1.10
- Fruit (strawberry, banana): €1.20
- Yogurt: €0.50
- Bread + jam: €0.40
- Scrambled eggs (small): €0.60
Total ingredient costs: €3.80
Food cost: (€3.80 / €11.47) × 100 = 33.1%
Compare margin per plate
Food cost percentage doesn't tell the whole story. You need to know how many euros you keep per plate after ingredient costs.
- Adult brunch: €16.97 - €5.90 = €11.07 margin per plate
- Children's brunch: €11.47 - €3.80 = €7.67 margin per plate
- Difference: €3.40 less margin per children's brunch
But here's what matters: children often require less service time. A family with 2 adults + 2 children gives you €37.48 total margin, while 4 adults generate €44.28 margin. From years of working in professional kitchens, I've seen that families tend to order faster and need fewer modifications than individual diners.
⚠️ Watch out:
Always calculate food cost with prices excl. VAT. The 9% VAT on food goes to the tax authority, not to your margin.
Optimization tips for children's brunch
You can improve the margin on children's brunch without raising the price:
- Replace expensive items: Smoked salmon with ham or cheese saves €1.50 per plate
- More grains, less meat: Pancakes and bread are cheap but filling
- Seasonal fruit: Apples and pears cost less than berries and exotic fruit
- Homemade jam: Costs €0.15 per portion vs €0.35 for branded jam
💡 Improved children's brunch example:
- Mini pancakes: €1.10
- Seasonal fruit: €0.80
- Yogurt: €0.50
- Bread + homemade jam: €0.25
- Ham slice: €0.60
New ingredient costs: €3.25
New food cost: (€3.25 / €11.47) × 100 = 28.3%
New margin: €11.47 - €3.25 = €8.22 per plate
Revenue vs. margin trade-off
Children's brunch has lower margin per plate, but attracts families who order more:
- Family effect: Parents often order extra coffee, juice, or dessert
- Loyalty: Families return more often than individual guests
- Fill quiet periods: Children's brunch fills slower moments (early morning, weekdays)
A family spending €45 with lower margin can be more profitable than an individual guest spending €20 with higher margin. Tools like KitchenNmbrs help track these patterns across different customer segments.
How do you calculate the margin of children's brunch vs adult brunch?
Create an ingredient list per menu
Note all ingredients with exact quantities and purchase prices. Also include garnish, sauces and oil. Remember that children's portions are often 60-70% of adult portions.
Calculate the food cost percentage of both menus
Use the formula: (Total ingredient costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100. Always calculate with prices excluding 9% VAT for fair comparison.
Compare the absolute margin per plate
Subtract ingredient costs from selling price excl. VAT. This gives you the euros left per plate. Children's brunch often has lower absolute margin, but can be more efficient in time and service.
✨ Pro tip
Track your top 3 children's brunch items over the next 30 days and optimize those first. If pancakes, fruit bowls, and mini eggs benedict are profitable, you've solved 75% of your children's menu profitability.
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
Should I make children's brunch cheaper than adult brunch?
Not necessarily. Many restaurants charge 60-70% of the adult price, but you can also charge a fixed price if ingredient costs justify it. Look at your total margin per plate, not just the percentage.
Why is my food cost on children's brunch higher than expected?
Children often get expensive ingredients like fresh fruit, while they skip cheap fillers like bread. Check if you're using too many premium ingredients for the price you're charging.
Can I use the same ingredients for both menus?
Yes, that's smart for purchasing and inventory management. Vary portion sizes and combinations - adults get smoked salmon, children get the same scrambled eggs but with ham instead. This reduces waste and simplifies ordering.
📚 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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