Like a poorly tailored suit, mismatched menu prices immediately signal something's off. Prices that are too high scare away guests, prices that are too low will bankrupt you. The secret lies in consistency: your prices need to match how guests perceive your restaurant.
First determine your positioning
Before you can set prices, you need to know what your restaurant stands for. Are you a cozy bistro, a fine dining restaurant, or a quick lunch spot? Your positioning determines what guests are willing to pay.
- Casual dining: €15-25 for main courses
- Fine dining: €28-45 for main courses
- Bistro/brasserie: €18-28 for main courses
- Lunch spot: €8-15 for main courses
⚠️ Note:
These ranges are guidelines. In downtown Amsterdam they're higher, in a small village lower. Look at your direct competitors.
Calculate your minimum prices
Every price must at least cover your costs. Use the food cost formula to determine your baseline:
Minimum selling price = Ingredient costs ÷ (Desired food cost % ÷ 100)
💡 Example:
You're making pasta carbonara with these costs:
- Pasta: €0.80
- Bacon: €2.40
- Egg: €0.60
- Parmesan: €1.20
- Other: €0.50
Total ingredients: €5.50
At 30% food cost: €5.50 ÷ 0.30 = €18.33 excl. VAT
Incl. 9% VAT: €18.33 × 1.09 = €20.00
Check your competition
Visit 3-5 comparable restaurants in your area. Study their menus and prices. Pay attention to:
- What do they charge for similar dishes?
- How do they present their prices?
- Which dishes do they promote (often the most profitable)?
- Are there any striking price differences?
You don't need to be the cheapest, but you also shouldn't be 30% more expensive without clear added value.
💡 Example:
You run a bistro and your competitors charge:
- Restaurant A: €22 for steak
- Restaurant B: €26 for steak
- Restaurant C: €24 for steak
Your range: €22-26 is safe. €30 becomes difficult, €18 seems too cheap.
Create a logical price structure
Guests expect a logical progression on your menu. Appetizers are cheaper than main courses, vegetarian options are often slightly less than meat or fish.
- Appetizers: 40-60% of main course price
- Vegetarian: 10-15% lower than meat/fish
- Fish: Often 10-20% higher than meat
- Desserts: 50-70% of main course price
⚠️ Note:
A vegetarian pasta at €24 next to a meat dish at €18 feels odd. Guests will think you're trying to rip them off. This kind of pricing inconsistency is a mistake that costs the average restaurant EUR 200-400 per month in lost customer trust and repeat visits.
Test and adjust
Launch your new prices and monitor reactions carefully. Pay attention to:
- Are guests still ordering your most expensive dishes?
- Are there more complaints about prices?
- Does your average bill stay the same or increase?
- Do regular guests still come?
Give it at least 2-3 weeks before drawing conclusions. One negative reaction doesn't mean your prices are wrong.
💡 Example:
After 3 weeks you notice that your new €28 steak still sells well, but your €22 pasta sells much less. Possibly €22 is too high for pasta in your restaurant, even though the food cost is correct.
Use tools for consistency
Calculating prices manually is error-prone and time-consuming. With a food cost calculator you can see your food cost per dish directly and run different price scenarios.
This prevents you from accidentally losing money on popular dishes, or your prices no longer matching your positioning.
How do you set consistent menu prices? (step by step)
Determine your positioning and price range
Look at comparable restaurants in your area. Note their prices for main courses. Determine where you fit in that range based on your concept, decor, and service.
Calculate your minimum prices per dish
Add up all ingredient costs per dish. Divide by your desired food cost percentage (usually 28-35%). This is your absolute minimum to make a profit.
Create a logical price structure
Make sure appetizers are cheaper than main courses, and desserts fall in between. Vegetarian options are usually 10-15% cheaper than meat or fish.
Test and monitor your new prices
Launch your new menu and track sales for 2-3 weeks. Pay attention to which dishes are ordered less and whether your average bill increases or decreases.
✨ Pro tip
Audit your 3 most popular dishes every quarter to ensure they still align with your positioning. If your bestselling pasta costs €4.20 to make but you're charging €16, you might be underpricing for your market segment.
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 if my calculated price doesn't fit my positioning?
Then you have two options: adjust your recipe with cheaper ingredients or raise your positioning. An expensive dish in a cheap restaurant won't sell, even if the quality is good. Sometimes you need to redesign the dish completely.
Can I use different prices for lunch and dinner?
Yes, that's completely normal. Lunch prices are often 20-30% lower than dinner. Just make sure this is clear on your menu, otherwise guests will feel misled.
How do I handle seasonal price changes?
Build a margin into your prices for seasonal variations. Or work with rotating dishes: asparagus in season, other vegetables when they're expensive. Many successful restaurants change 30-40% of their menu seasonally.
Should I round my prices up or down?
Always round to .00 or .50 amounts - never .95 or .75. €23.75 feels more expensive than €24.00, even though it's only 25 cents difference. Clean pricing feels more professional.
📚 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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