Calculating festival prices is different from regular menu pricing. You have higher logistics costs, different labor costs, and often limited facilities. In this article, you'll learn step-by-step how to calculate a realistic selling price that covers all these extra costs.
Gather all cost items
At festivals, you have many more cost items than in your own kitchen. First, make a complete list of all extra costs you normally don't have.
💡 Example festival cost items:
- Stand fee: €800 for 3 days
- Equipment transport: €150 round trip
- Extra staff: 2 people × 10 hours × €15 = €300/day
- Generator/power: €120 for weekend
- Festival permits: €200
Total extra costs: €1,970 for 3 days
You need to divide these costs across your expected sales. If you expect to sell 800 portions, each portion costs €1,970 / 800 = €2.46 extra just for logistics.
Calculate your base cost price
Start with the ingredients of your dish, just like normal. But note: at festivals, you often can't buy fresh. You have to buy everything in advance and bring it with you.
⚠️ Watch out:
Add 10-15% extra ingredients for waste. You can't quickly restock if you run short.
💡 Example: Festival burger
- Meat (150g): €2.40
- Bun: €0.80
- Cheese, lettuce, tomato: €0.60
- Packaging (cardboard): €0.25
- Waste buffer (10%): €0.41
Base cost price: €4.46
Add up all extra costs
Now add the logistics costs to your base cost price. This gives you the actual cost price per portion.
- Base ingredients: €4.46
- Logistics costs: €2.46
- Total cost price: €6.92 per burger
This is what each burger costs you at minimum. You still need to add profit on top of this.
Determine your desired margin
At festivals, you can often charge higher margins than in your restaurant. People expect festival pricing and are willing to pay more for convenience.
💡 Example: Margin calculation
Cost price: €6.92
Desired margin: 60% (food cost of 40%)
Minimum selling price excl. VAT: €6.92 / 0.40 = €17.30
Selling price incl. 9% VAT: €18.86
Round this to a nice price: €19.00 for the festival burger.
Check your break-even point
Calculate how many portions you need to sell at minimum to break even. This helps you assess whether the festival is profitable.
- Total fixed costs: €1,970
- Profit per burger: €19.00 - €6.92 = €12.08
- Break-even: €1,970 / €12.08 = 163 burgers
You need to sell at least 163 burgers to cover your costs. Everything beyond that is profit.
⚠️ Watch out:
Calculate conservatively. Better to expect too little than too much. Bad weather can cut your sales in half.
Compare with competition
Check what other food trucks at the festival charge for similar dishes. Your price can be higher if your quality is better, but not too much higher.
If all burgers cost around €15 and you're asking €19, make sure your difference is clear: better ingredients, larger portion, or unique recipe.
How do you calculate the selling price of a festival dish?
List all extra costs
Make a complete list of stand fees, transport, extra staff, equipment, and permits. Divide these costs by your expected number of portions to get the logistics cost per portion.
Calculate base cost price including waste
Work out all ingredients plus packaging. Add 10-15% for waste since you can't restock. This is your base cost price per portion.
Add everything up and determine selling price
Base cost price + logistics costs = total cost price. Divide by your desired food cost percentage (e.g., 40%) and multiply by 1.09 for 9% VAT.
✨ Pro tip
Always calculate two scenarios: optimistic and pessimistic. Plan based on the pessimistic scenario, then you'll usually be pleasantly surprised.
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
What food cost can I use at festivals?
At festivals, you can often use a food cost of 35-45%, which is higher than in restaurants. The higher logistics costs justify a better margin.
Do I need to charge VAT on festival sales?
Yes, 9% VAT applies to food at festivals too. Make sure you're registered correctly for tax purposes and remit VAT on your festival sales.
How do I estimate my expected sales?
Ask the organizers about visitor numbers from last year and how many food trucks will be there. Calculate conservatively: 10-15% of visitors will buy from you.
What if I sell less than expected?
That's why you calculate your break-even point. If you don't reach it, you lose money. Always have a backup plan and only go to festivals where you're reasonably confident of sufficient sales.
Can I use my restaurant prices at festivals?
No, you have much higher costs due to logistics and temporary setup. Festival pricing is always higher than regular restaurant prices.
📚 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.
Develop recipes with instant cost calculation
Every new recipe has a cost price. KitchenNmbrs calculates it while you build the recipe — so you know if it's profitable before it hits the menu. Try it free.
Start free trial →