Purchasing for a two-day festival requires careful planning based on expected visitors. Buying too much means waste, buying too little means lost sales. With the right calculation you plan exactly what you need without too much risk.
Calculate your expected sales per day
Start with the number of expected visitors and calculate how many of them will buy from you. Not every festival visitor will become your customer.
💡 Example:
Festival with 5,000 visitors per day, you expect 8% market share:
- Day 1: 5,000 × 8% = 400 customers
- Day 2: 5,000 × 8% = 400 customers
Total: 800 customers over two days
Watch for differences between days. Friday is often quieter than Saturday. Adjust your expectations per day.
Determine your average transaction value
Calculate what a customer orders on average. At festivals, people often order more than in a regular setting because it's a special occasion.
- Main course: €8-12
- Side dish or snack: €3-6
- Drink: €2-4
Average transaction value at festivals is often between €10-18 per customer.
Calculate your total expected revenue
Multiply the number of customers by average transaction value to get your expected revenue.
💡 Example:
800 customers × €14 average transaction = €11,200 total revenue
Distribution across days:
- Day 1 (Friday): €4,480 (40%)
- Day 2 (Saturday): €6,720 (60%)
Plan your purchases based on food cost
Use your desired food cost percentage to calculate how much you can spend on purchases. For festivals, 25-30% food cost is standard.
Formula: Maximum purchase = Expected revenue × (Food cost % / 100)
💡 Example:
At €11,200 revenue and 28% food cost:
€11,200 × 0.28 = €3,136 maximum purchase
Divide across ingredient categories
Split your purchase budget based on your menu. Create a distribution per main category.
- Meat/fish: 40-50% of purchases
- Vegetables: 20-25% of purchases
- Bread/sides: 15-20% of purchases
- Sauces/spices: 10-15% of purchases
⚠️ Note:
Plan 10-15% extra purchases as a buffer. At festivals you often can't quickly reorder if you run out of stock.
Calculate portions per ingredient
Work out how much of each ingredient you need based on your expected sales per dish.
💡 Example hamburgers:
Expectation: 300 hamburgers over two days
- Hamburger patties: 300 × 150g = 45 kg
- Buns: 300 pieces + 10% buffer = 330 pieces
- Cheese: 300 × 30g = 9 kg
- Lettuce: 300 × 20g = 6 kg
Plan your cooling and storage
Check if you have enough cooling space for your purchases. At festivals you often have limited cooling capacity.
- Calculate cooling space per day
- Plan which products you'll use day 1 vs day 2
- Account for spoilage in warm weather
Create a purchase list per supplier
Divide your purchases per supplier to keep track and plan deliveries.
Many entrepreneurs use a system like KitchenNmbrs to keep track of their recipes and purchase calculations, especially for complex events like festivals.
How do you plan festival purchases? (step by step)
Calculate expected customers per day
Multiply total number of festival visitors by your expected market share (usually 5-12%). Account for differences between days.
Determine average transaction value
Estimate what a customer orders on average. At festivals this is often between €10-18 per person, depending on your concept and price level.
Calculate maximum purchase
Multiply expected revenue by your desired food cost percentage (25-30%). This is your maximum purchase budget for ingredients.
Plan portions per ingredient
Work out how much of each ingredient you need per dish. Add everything up and add a 10-15% buffer for unexpected crowds.
Check cooling capacity
Check if you have enough cooling space for your total purchases. Plan which products you'll use when to prevent spoilage.
✨ Pro tip
Create a separate purchase calculation for each dish and add them up. This way you won't forget ingredients that are used in multiple dishes.
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 much buffer should I plan for festival purchases?
Plan 10-15% extra purchases as a buffer. At festivals you often can't quickly reorder, so better to have a bit too much than too little. This prevents lost sales from sold-out items.
How do I calculate my market share at a festival?
Divide the number of food vendors by the total number of visitors and adjust for your location. With 10 food vendors you expect about 10% market share, but a top location can achieve 15%.
What if I have much less sales on day 1 than expected?
Adjust your planning for day 2. Use perishable products first and save shelf-stable items for day 2. Check your prices - maybe they're too high for the audience.
What food cost percentage is realistic for festivals?
25-30% is standard for festivals. You have higher transport costs but also fewer staff than in a restaurant. Always calculate food cost excluding VAT.
How do I prevent food waste in warm weather?
Plan your cooling carefully and use products in order of perishability. Don't prepare too much in advance and keep perishable items out of cooling as briefly as possible.
⚠️ EU Regulation 1169/2011 — Allergen Information — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/oj
The allergen information on this page is based on EU Regulation 1169/2011. Recipes and ingredients may vary by supplier. Always verify current allergen information with your supplier and communicate this correctly to your guests. KitchenNmbrs is not liable for allergic reactions.
In the UK, the FSA enforces allergen regulations under the Food Information Regulations 2014.
📚 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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