Packaging costs can significantly increase your food cost without you realizing it. Many entrepreneurs only calculate ingredients, but forget that every container, bag and lid costs money. For takeaway and delivery, this can mean an extra 2-5% on your cost price.
Why include packaging costs?
With takeaway and delivery, packaging is part of your product. Just like you count the potatoes with a steak, you need to count the container with a pasta dish. Without this, you get a distorted picture of your actual food cost.
⚠️ Note:
Packaging costs can add up to €1.50 per order. With an average order value of €25, that's 6% of your revenue that disappears.
Which packaging costs do you include?
- Primary packaging: Containers, boxes, bowls per dish
- Secondary packaging: Sauce containers, cutlery, napkins
- Transport packaging: Bags, boxes, insulation material
- Extras: Stickers, labels, tape
💡 Example pasta order:
Pasta ingredients: €4.20
- Pasta container: €0.35
- Lid: €0.15
- Sauce container: €0.12
- Plastic fork: €0.08
- Napkin: €0.05
- Carry bag: €0.25
Total packaging costs: €1.00
Calculation per dish vs. per order
You can include packaging costs in two ways:
Method 1: Per dish
Add the direct packaging to each dish. Container, lid and cutlery belong to that specific dish.
Method 2: Per order
Calculate shared costs (bag, stickers) as an average per dish. If an order contains an average of 2.3 dishes, divide the bag costs by 2.3.
💡 Example calculation:
Carry bag costs €0.25 per order
Average 2.5 dishes per order
Bag cost per dish: €0.25 ÷ 2.5 = €0.10
Impact on your food cost percentage
Packaging costs increase your total cost price, which raises your food cost percentage. This is normal and expected for takeaway/delivery.
💡 Before and after comparison:
Pasta sale €18.50 (€16.97 excl. VAT)
- Ingredients only: €4.20 = 24.7% food cost
- With packaging: €5.20 = 30.6% food cost
Difference: 5.9 percentage points higher due to packaging
Price adjustment for takeaway
Many restaurants therefore charge slightly higher prices for takeaway/delivery. The extra packaging costs justify a surcharge of €0.50 to €1.50 per dish.
Alternative: calculate a fixed packaging cost per order (e.g., €1.50) instead of raising the prices per dish.
Administration and registration
Keep track of which packaging you use per dish. Make a list of all packaging materials and the costs per unit. Update this list when suppliers raise prices.
With a system like KitchenNmbrs, you can add packaging costs as an ingredient to your recipes, so the cost price is automatically calculated.
How do you calculate packaging costs? (step by step)
Create a packaging list
Write down all packaging materials you use: containers, lids, cutlery, bags, etc. Note the purchase price per unit. Also include small items like napkins and stickers.
Calculate costs per dish
Determine which packaging goes with each dish. Main course gets container + lid, side dish gets separate container. Shared costs (bag, cutlery) you divide by the average number of dishes per order.
Add to ingredient costs
Add the packaging costs to your existing ingredient costs. Divide this sum by your selling price excl. VAT to get your actual food cost percentage.
✨ Pro tip
Negotiate with your packaging supplier for volume discounts. With purchases of 1000+ units per month, you can often get 15-25% off.
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
Do I have to pay VAT on packaging material?
Yes, packaging material falls under 21% VAT on purchase. This is already included in the price you pay to your supplier.
How often should I update my packaging costs?
Check this monthly if you order a lot, or quarterly for smaller volumes. Packaging prices rise regularly due to raw materials and transport.
Can I pass packaging costs on to customers separately?
You can, but most restaurants build it into their menu price. A separate packaging cost can deter customers and feels cheap.
What is a normal packaging cost per dish?
For standard takeaway, this is between €0.30 and €0.80 per dish. For premium packaging or complex dishes, this can go up to €1.20.
Should I also account for wasted packaging?
Yes, calculate an extra 5-10% for damaged or incorrectly used packaging. This prevents your cost price from being too low.
📚 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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