85% of food truck owners underestimate their true food costs by ignoring 'free' condiments. That dollop of mayo costing €0.08 becomes €16 daily with 200 portions. Those hidden costs destroy profit margins faster than you'd think.
Why free sauce eats into your profit
Food truck entrepreneurs often dismiss sauce costs as negligible. But those small amounts become profit killers. With 200 daily portions and €0.08 per sauce, you're hemorrhaging €5,840 yearly on 'free' mayo alone.
⚠️ Heads up:
Most food truck owners calculate only main ingredients. Sauces, dips and garnishes get ignored, but together they'll spike your food cost by 2-5%.
Calculate the cost of free sauce
You need three numbers: sauce purchase price, grams per portion, and daily portion count. After managing kitchen operations for nearly a decade, I've seen operators shocked by these calculations.
💡 Example mayonnaise:
You buy mayo for €4.20 per liter (1000ml).
- Price per ml: €4.20 / 1000 = €0.0042
- Per portion you give 20ml mayo
- Cost per portion: 20 × €0.0042 = €0.084
At 150 portions/day: €0.084 × 150 = €12.60/day
Impact on your food cost percentage
Free sauce inflates your food cost percentage silently. If your average dish costs €12.50 (excl. VAT) and you're giving €0.25 in free sauces, your food cost jumps 2 percentage points.
💡 Example food cost impact:
Burger with fries for €13.76 excl. VAT (€15.00 incl. 9% VAT):
- Main ingredients: €4.20 = 30.5% food cost
- Free sauces (mayo + ketchup): €0.15
- Total ingredients: €4.35
New food cost: €4.35 / €13.76 = 31.6%
Multiple free sauces add up
Most food trucks offer 3-4 sauce options. Customers grab multiple containers regularly. Calculate with 1.5 sauces per order if you're offering choice.
- Mayo: €0.08 per portion (20ml)
- Ketchup: €0.06 per portion (15ml)
- Curry: €0.12 per portion (15ml)
- Samurai: €0.14 per portion (15ml)
💡 Example: 4 sauces available
Average customer takes 1.5 sauces:
- Average cost per sauce: €0.10
- Per order: 1.5 × €0.10 = €0.15
- At 120 orders/day: €18.00/day
Per year: €18 × 300 working days = €5,400
Alternatives to free sauce
You don't need to give sauces away. Many successful food trucks charge €0.50 for extra sauce, or provide one free sauce then charge for extras.
- One free, extras paid: Customers feel valued, but you control overconsumption
- Everything paid: €0.50 per sauce easily covers costs
- Included in menu price: Bump prices by €0.25 and advertise 'sauces included'
Track in your cost calculation
Always include free sauces in recipe calculations. Food cost calculators let you add sauces as ingredients, so you'll see true dish costs including all side items.
⚠️ Heads up:
Don't overlook other 'free' items: onions with döner, pickles with burgers, or extra vegetables. Everything touching the plate impacts your food cost.
How do you calculate the impact of free sauce? (step by step)
Calculate the cost per ml or gram
Divide the purchase price by the number of ml or grams in the package. A liter of mayo for €4.20 costs €0.0042 per ml.
Measure how much you give per portion
Weigh or measure a standard portion of sauce. A standard dollop of mayo is about 15-20ml. Be realistic - watch what your chef actually gives.
Multiply by number of portions per day
Count the number of orders per day and multiply by the cost per portion. Don't forget weekends - they're often busier.
Calculate the impact on your food cost
Divide the sauce costs by your average selling price excl. VAT. This gives you the extra food cost percentage from free sauce.
✨ Pro tip
Weigh sauce portions during your next 3 busy shifts - most operators give 30-40% more during rush periods than they realize, especially with squeeze bottles.
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 include free sauce in my food cost calculation?
Absolutely - everything touching the plate counts toward food cost. Free sauces, onions, pickles and other sides quickly add 2-5% to your total food cost.
How much does a portion of mayo cost on average?
A standard 20ml dollop costs about €0.08 at €4.20 per liter purchase price. Seems tiny, but at 200 daily portions you're spending €16 per day on mayo alone.
Is it better to charge for sauce?
Many successful trucks charge €0.50 for extras after one free sauce. This covers costs while preventing waste without alienating customers.
How many sauces does an average customer take?
With multiple sauce options, customers average 1.5 sauces per order. Limited to mayo/ketchup drops this to 1.2 sauces per order.
What if I include sauces in my price?
Raise menu prices by €0.25-0.50 and market 'sauces included.' You cover costs while maintaining that premium service feeling.
Do specialty sauces cost more than basic condiments?
Yes - curry sauce and samurai typically cost €0.12-0.14 per portion versus €0.06-0.08 for basic ketchup and mayo.
Should I track sauce usage separately from main ingredients?
Track them as separate line items initially to understand true impact. Once you know the costs, you can bundle them into recipe calculations for efficiency.
📚 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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