Bottomless brunch with prosecco sounds fun, but you can bubble away your profits if you calculate the margin wrong. Many hospitality entrepreneurs only count the bottle's purchase price, but forget that guests drink much more when it's 'unlimited'. You need to calculate actual consumption per person, not per bottle.
The real cost of bottomless prosecco
At a normal lunch, a guest drinks an average of 1-2 glasses of prosecco. At bottomless brunch this quickly becomes 3-5 glasses per person. From a 0.75 liter bottle you get approximately 5 glasses of 150ml.
💡 Example:
Bottomless brunch for €35 per person, guest drinks 4 glasses of prosecco:
- Prosecco purchase: €8 per bottle
- 5 glasses per bottle = €1.60 per glass
- 4 glasses = €6.40 in prosecco per guest
Beverage costs: €6.40 of your €35 = 18.3%
Calculate VAT correctly (important!)
Prosecco falls under 21% VAT, not 9% like food. This means your €35 bottomless brunch is actually €28.93 excl. VAT. Your beverage costs become a larger percentage of your net revenue.
⚠️ Note:
If your brunch also includes food, you have mixed VAT rates. Food falls under 9%, prosecco under 21%. Calculate these separately for your true margin.
Formula for prosecco margin calculation
For bottomless prosecco use this formula:
Prosecco cost per person = (Average number of glasses × Purchase price per glass)
Margin % = ((Selling price - Prosecco costs) / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
💡 Complete calculation:
Bottomless brunch €35 incl. VAT, guest drinks average 3.5 glasses:
- Selling price excl. VAT: €35 / 1.21 = €28.93
- Prosecco per glass: €8 / 5 glasses = €1.60
- Cost per guest: 3.5 × €1.60 = €5.60
- Margin: (€28.93 - €5.60) / €28.93 = 80.6%
Net margin on prosecco: 80.6% - that's healthy!
Different prosecco qualities
Your prosecco choice strongly determines your margin. Here's an overview of common purchase prices and what that means for your cost per glass:
- Budget prosecco: €4-6 per bottle = €0.80-1.20 per glass
- Mid-range prosecco: €8-12 per bottle = €1.60-2.40 per glass
- Premium prosecco: €15-25 per bottle = €3.00-5.00 per glass
For bottomless concepts, mid-range is usually the best choice. Budget tastes too watery, premium becomes too expensive when guests drink a lot.
How many glasses to calculate per person?
This depends on your target audience and brunch duration:
- 1.5 hour bottomless: average 2-3 glasses per person
- 2 hour bottomless: average 3-4 glasses per person
- 3+ hour bottomless: average 4-6 glasses per person
⚠️ Note:
Always calculate with your actual consumption, not estimates. Track for 2-3 weeks how many bottles you open per number of guests. That gives you exact figures.
Calculate total brunch margin
Your bottomless brunch consists of more than just prosecco. For the total margin, add up all costs:
💡 Complete brunch calculation:
Bottomless brunch €35 per person:
- Food (eggs, bread, fruit): €8.50
- Prosecco (3.5 glasses): €5.60
- Total ingredient costs: €14.10
- Selling price excl. VAT: €28.93
Total margin: (€28.93 - €14.10) / €28.93 = 51.2%
KitchenNmbrs for brunch calculations
With KitchenNmbrs you can create your bottomless brunch as a recipe and automatically calculate the cost per person. You enter how many glasses of prosecco you serve on average, and the app calculates the total ingredient costs and margin.
Handy if you have different brunch packages or regularly switch prosecco suppliers. Then you immediately see what the new prices mean for your margin.
How do you calculate the margin on bottomless prosecco? (step by step)
Measure your actual consumption per guest
Track for 2-3 weeks how many bottles of prosecco you open and how many guests you had. Divide bottles by number of guests and multiply by 5 (glasses per bottle) for average number of glasses per person.
Calculate cost per glass and per guest
Divide your purchase price per bottle by 5 (glasses per bottle). Multiply this by your average number of glasses per guest for the total prosecco cost per person.
Calculate your margin including VAT correction
Subtract your prosecco costs from your selling price excl. VAT (brunch price divided by 1.21). Divide this by your selling price excl. VAT and multiply by 100 for your margin percentage.
✨ Pro tip
Keep a 'prosecco logbook' where you note how many bottles you open per brunch service and how many guests you had. After a month you know exactly your average and can sharpen your prices.
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 glasses of prosecco do I get from one bottle?
From a standard 0.75 liter bottle you get approximately 5 glasses of 150ml. Some restaurants pour smaller glasses (125ml) and get 6 glasses from one bottle.
What is a healthy margin on prosecco at bottomless brunch?
A margin of 75-85% on the prosecco itself is standard. For the total brunch (food + drinks) you aim for 45-55% margin to cover all costs.
Should I calculate with 9% or 21% VAT at bottomless brunch?
Prosecco always falls under 21% VAT, even at brunch. If your brunch also includes food, calculate the food with 9% VAT and the prosecco with 21% VAT separately.
How do I prevent guests from drinking too much prosecco?
Set a time limit on your bottomless brunch (for example 2 hours) and train your staff not to pour too quickly. Also offer water and coffee as alternatives.
What prosecco quality is best for bottomless brunch?
Mid-range prosecco at €8-12 per bottle offers the best balance. Budget prosecco tastes too watery for a premium brunch experience, premium becomes too expensive with high consumption.
📚 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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