Most restaurateurs assume à la carte automatically means higher profits – that's wrong. Daily menus can actually deliver better margins despite lower prices. Smart cost calculation reveals which format truly makes you more money.
The difference between daily menu and à la carte margin
Daily menus sell fixed packages for one price. À la carte lets guests choose each component separately. This affects your margin differently:
- Daily menu: Fixed combination, predictable costs
- À la carte: Variable combinations, varying margins
- Portion size: Daily menu often standard, à la carte more variation
- Side dishes: Daily menu included, à la carte priced separately
💡 Example:
Salmon with vegetables and potatoes:
- Daily menu: €24.50 for the complete dish
- À la carte: €28.00 main course + €4.50 vegetables + €3.50 potatoes = €36.00
Difference: €11.50 more for à la carte
Calculate cost price per sales format
You need exact cost prices for each format. This often reveals surprises:
Daily menu cost price:
- Main ingredient (e.g. salmon): fixed portion
- Vegetables: often more generous portions
- Potatoes: standard portion
- Sauce/butter: included
À la carte cost price:
- Main ingredient: often slightly larger portion
- Vegetables: ordered separately, smaller portion
- Potatoes: ordered separately, standard portion
- Extras: butter, sauce calculated separately
💡 Cost price example:
The same salmon dish:
Daily menu costs:
- Salmon 180g: €6.30
- Vegetable mix: €1.80
- Potatoes: €0.90
- Sauce/butter: €0.70
Total costs: €9.70
À la carte costs:
- Salmon 200g: €7.00
- Vegetables (smaller portion): €1.20
- Potatoes: €0.90
- Sauce separate: €0.40
Total costs: €9.50
Margin calculation step by step
Now calculate the real margin. Always use prices excluding VAT for accurate numbers.
⚠️ Note:
Always calculate with prices excluding 9% VAT. €24.50 incl. VAT = €22.48 excl. VAT (€24.50 ÷ 1.09)
Daily menu margin calculation:
- Sales price: €24.50 incl. VAT = €22.48 excl. VAT
- Cost price: €9.70
- Gross profit: €22.48 - €9.70 = €12.78
- Margin %: (€12.78 ÷ €22.48) × 100 = 56.8%
- Food cost %: (€9.70 ÷ €22.48) × 100 = 43.2%
À la carte margin calculation:
- Sales price: €36.00 incl. VAT = €33.03 excl. VAT
- Cost price: €9.50
- Gross profit: €33.03 - €9.50 = €23.53
- Margin %: (€23.53 ÷ €33.03) × 100 = 71.2%
- Food cost %: (€9.50 ÷ €33.03) × 100 = 28.8%
💡 Comparison:
- Daily menu: €12.78 profit per sold dish
- À la carte: €23.53 profit per sold dish
- Difference: €10.75 more profit for à la carte
À la carte generates 84% more profit per dish
Why daily menus can still be interesting
Despite lower absolute profit per dish, daily menus offer advantages that boost overall margins:
- Higher turnover: Guests order faster, less decision time
- Predictable purchasing: You know exactly how much you need
- Less waste: Fixed portions, better planning
- Faster service: Less staff needed per guest
- Lower threshold: More guests through attractive pricing
Something most kitchen managers discover too late: daily menus often reduce labor costs per cover by 15-20% because service runs smoother. But they focus only on food costs and miss this advantage.
Volume impact on total profit
Lower margin per dish gets compensated by higher sales volume. Here's exactly where daily menus generate more total profit:
💡 Volume example:
On a weekday evening:
- À la carte: 25 guests × €23.53 profit = €588 total profit
- Daily menu: 40 guests × €12.78 profit = €511 total profit
Daily menu needs 60% more guests for the same profit
Break-even point: 46 daily menu guests = 25 à la carte guests
⚠️ Note:
More guests also means more costs: staff, energy, dishwashing. Include these in your overall picture.
Practical tips for optimal mix
Most restaurants combine both strategies smartly:
- Lunch: Daily menu for fast turnover and volume
- Dinner: À la carte for higher margins
- Weekdays: Daily menu to attract more guests
- Weekends: À la carte because guests come anyway
- Season: Daily menu with seasonal products for better purchasing
How do you calculate the margin per sales format? (step by step)
Calculate exact cost price per dish
Add up all ingredients for both daily menu and à la carte version. Pay attention to different portion sizes and included/excluded side dishes. Don't forget sauces, oil and garnish.
Convert sales price to excluding VAT
Divide your menu price by 1.09 to get the price excluding 9% VAT. This is the price you need to use for your margin calculation.
Calculate profit and margin percentage
Subtract cost price from sales price excl. VAT for gross profit. Divide gross profit by sales price excl. VAT and multiply by 100 for margin percentage.
Compare absolute profit per dish
Don't just look at percentages but also at euro profit per sold dish. A lower margin can still be interesting with higher volumes.
Calculate volume impact
Calculate how many daily menus you need to sell for the same total profit as à la carte. This helps determine your marketing strategy and capacity planning.
✨ Pro tip
Track your daily menu margins every 2 weeks during volatile seasons like spring. One week of higher vegetable prices can push your food cost from 35% to 42% without you noticing until month-end.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
Should I include VAT in my margin calculation?
No, always calculate with prices excluding VAT. VAT is a pass-through to the tax authority and doesn't belong in your real revenue. Divide menu price by 1.09 for the price excl. 9% VAT.
Why does my daily menu seem less profitable?
Daily menus often have lower absolute profit per dish, but can generate more volume. Calculate how many extra guests you need to earn the same as à la carte sales.
How do I calculate cost price with varying side dishes?
Make an average cost price based on what guests usually choose. If 60% choose potatoes and 40% choose rice, calculate: (0.6 × cost potatoes) + (0.4 × cost rice).
Should I include staff costs in this calculation?
Not for direct dish comparison, but yes for the overall picture. Daily menus often require less service per guest, which lowers your staff cost per cover.
📚 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.
Set selling prices based on facts
Guessing at prices? KitchenNmbrs calculates the ideal selling price based on your actual food cost and desired margin. Test it free for 14 days.
Start free trial →