Combo deals like menus with drink and dessert are popular with guests, but often a pitfall for your margin. Many food truck owners only calculate with the main components and forget the small extras that eat into profits. Here's how to calculate the actual margin on combo deals step-by-step.
Why combo deals often deliver less than you think
A burger menu for €12.50 sounds profitable. But if your burger costs €4.20, your fries €1.80 and your drink €0.90, you're already at €6.90 in ingredients. On €11.47 excl. VAT that's 60% food cost - way too high.
⚠️ Watch out:
Many food truck owners forget the 'small' costs: sauces, napkins, packaging, and the extra time for assembly. These can lower your margin by 5-8%.
The complete cost of a combo deal
For an accurate margin calculation you need to count all components:
- Main course: burger, wrap, pizza slice
- Side dish: fries, salad, chips
- Drink: soft drink, coffee, water
- Extras: sauces, dressings, seasonings
- Packaging: boxes, cups, straws, napkins
- Processing time: extra labor for assembly
💡 Example: Burger menu
Menu price: €12.50 incl. VAT (€11.47 excl. VAT)
- Burger: €4.20
- Fries (150g): €1.80
- Cola (0.33l): €0.90
- Ketchup/mayo: €0.15
- Packaging: €0.45
- Extra labor time: €0.30
Total cost: €7.80 = 68% food cost
Optimize margin without raising price
If your food cost is too high, you've got three options:
- Smaller portions: 120g fries instead of 150g saves €0.36 per menu
- Cheaper drinks: house brand instead of A-brand saves €0.20-0.40
- Smarter purchasing: larger packages mean lower costs per portion
💡 Example: Optimized menu
Same menu price: €11.47 excl. VAT
- Burger: €4.20 (unchanged)
- Fries (120g): €1.44
- House brand cola: €0.50
- Sauces: €0.15
- Packaging: €0.45
- Labor time: €0.30
New cost: €7.04 = 61% food cost
Different margins per component
Not every part needs the same margin. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, drinks consistently carry higher margins:
- Main course: 28-35% food cost (quality matters)
- Side dish: 20-30% food cost (volume product)
- Drink: 15-25% food cost (highest margin)
💡 Example: Ideal distribution
Menu €15.00 incl. VAT (€13.76 excl. VAT)
- Burger (35% food cost): €2.88
- Fries (25% food cost): €1.15
- Drink (20% food cost): €0.55
- Other costs: €0.30
Total: €4.88 = 35% food cost
Seasonal adjustments
Food trucks deal with seasonal influences on both costs and demand:
- Summer: more drink consumption, ice costs rise
- Winter: hot drinks more popular, different packaging costs
- Festivals: higher prices possible, but also higher delivery costs
Digital support for complex calculations
With multiple menus and changing ingredient prices, manual calculation quickly becomes complex. A system like KitchenNmbrs helps to:
- Automatically count all components
- Compare different menu combinations
- Immediately see which deals are most profitable
- Quickly adjust when supplier prices change
How do you calculate the margin on combo deals? (step by step)
Make a complete cost list
Write down all components: main course, side dish, drink, sauces, packaging and extra labor time. Don't forget any item that's in the deal.
Calculate the cost per component
For each part, add up the exact ingredient costs. Also include packaging material and the value of extra preparation time.
Add up all costs and calculate food cost percentage
Add all component costs together. Divide this by your selling price excl. VAT and multiply by 100 for your food cost percentage.
Analyze and optimize per component
Look at which parts affect your margin the most. Consider smaller portions, alternative ingredients or different suppliers for expensive components.
✨ Pro tip
Track your top 3 combo deals daily for exactly 14 days to spot hidden cost patterns. You'll often discover that Tuesday's margins are 8-12% lower due to weekend prep waste.
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
What is an acceptable food cost for combo deals?
For food trucks, a healthy food cost for combo deals is between 30-40%. This is higher than individual items because you compensate volume with lower prices per component.
Should I include packaging costs in my food cost?
Yes, absolutely. Packaging can account for 3-8% of your total costs in takeaway. Count boxes, cups, straws, napkins and bags all together.
How do I calculate the extra labor time for menus?
Estimate how much extra time assembly takes (usually 30-60 seconds) and convert this to your hourly rate. For an employee at €15/hour, 45 seconds extra is €0.19 in labor costs.
Can drinks in menus have higher margins?
Yes, drinks often have the highest margin in a menu (15-25% food cost). Use this to compensate for the lower margin on the main course.
How do I adjust my menus if suppliers raise prices?
Recalculate all menus immediately when prices change. Often you can keep food cost stable without raising menu prices through smart adjustments like smaller portions or different brands.
Should I price combos differently during peak hours?
Many food trucks do implement peak pricing for combos during lunch rush or events. Just make sure your POS system can handle time-based pricing changes automatically.
What's the biggest mistake with dessert add-ons in combos?
Underestimating the true cost of desserts, especially ice cream or fresh items with short shelf life. Factor in waste from unsold portions - it can double your actual dessert cost.
📚 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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