Promotions and bundles can boost your revenue, but they can also tank your profits. The secret is choosing the right dishes: those with the lowest food cost and highest popularity. In this article, you'll learn step-by-step which dishes belong in your promotion and which don't.
Why the wrong dishes in a promotion are disastrous
You think: "I'll put my €32 steak on promotion for €24, that'll attract customers." But if that steak has a food cost of 38%, you only make €7.50 gross per portion. Subtract your staff, rent and other costs, and you're losing money on every steak sold.
⚠️ Heads up:
A promotion with the wrong dishes can cost you more than it brings in. Always check your food cost first before offering a discount.
The golden rule: food cost under 25% for promotions
For promotions and bundles, you want dishes with a food cost of maximum 25%. Why? Because you're giving a discount, but your fixed costs (staff, rent) stay the same. You need that extra margin to absorb the discount.
💡 Example:
Your pasta carbonara:
- Regular price: €18.50 incl. VAT (€16.97 excl.)
- Ingredients: €4.20
- Food cost: 24.7%
- Promotion price: €14.50 (€13.30 excl.)
New food cost: 31.6% - still acceptable!
Which dishes are perfect for promotions
The best promotion dishes have three characteristics: low food cost, high popularity and minimal prep work. Think of:
- Pasta dishes: Pasta is cheap, high volume, food cost usually 20-28%
- Pizzas: Dough costs almost nothing, especially vegetarian pizzas have low food cost
- Soups: Especially seasonal soups with cheap vegetables
- Seasonal fish: If you time your purchasing right, fish can be temporarily affordable
💡 Example promotion bundle:
"3-course menu for €24.50" consisting of:
- Tomato soup: €1.80 ingredients
- Pasta arrabbiata: €3.20 ingredients
- Tiramisu (homemade): €2.10 ingredients
Total ingredients: €7.10 on €22.48 excl. VAT = 31.6% food cost
Dishes you should NEVER put on promotion
These dishes often already have high food cost and become unprofitable with a discount:
- Steak and other red meat: Food cost often 35-45%
- Fresh fish (sea bass, sole): Expensive and lots of trim loss
- Dishes with lots of garnish: All those small ingredients add up
- Seasonal products out of season: Asparagus in December is pricey
⚠️ Heads up:
Reducing a €32 steak to €24 often means you're running at a loss. Always check that you keep at least €8-10 gross margin after the discount.
Use seasonality smartly for promotions
The season determines your purchase prices. In fall, pumpkins are cheap; in summer, tomatoes are. Plan your promotions around cheap seasonal ingredients:
- Spring: Asparagus, young vegetables
- Summer: Tomatoes, zucchini, fresh herbs
- Fall: Pumpkin, mushrooms, game
- Winter: Root vegetables, stews, seasonal fish
💡 Example seasonal promotion:
October promotion "Pumpkin Month":
- Pumpkin soup: €1.20 ingredients
- Pumpkin risotto: €2.80 ingredients
- Pumpkin tart: €1.90 ingredients
All dishes under 20% food cost thanks to cheap seasonal pumpkin!
Building bundles: the 60-30-10 rule
With bundles (for example, a 3-course menu), distribute like this:
- 60% of ingredient costs in the main course
- 30% in the starter
- 10% in the dessert
This way you stay in control of your total food cost and can steer each component.
Tools to make the right choice
You need three numbers per dish:
- Current food cost percentage
- Number sold per week (popularity)
- Gross margin per portion after discount
With a system like KitchenNmbrs you see these numbers directly per dish, so you can quickly determine which dishes are suitable for promotions.
How do you choose the right dishes for your promotion?
Calculate the food cost of all your dishes
Make a list of your 10-15 most popular dishes and calculate the exact food cost. Include all ingredients, including garnish and sauces. Dishes above 30% food cost are usually not suitable for promotions.
Determine your promotion price and new margin
Choose how much discount you want to give (for example, 20%) and calculate what your new food cost will be. Check that you still keep at least €8-10 gross margin per portion after the discount.
Test with one dish before you start a big promotion
Start small: put one dish on promotion for a week and measure the result. How much extra did you sell? What was the impact on your total margin? Then expand to more dishes.
✨ Pro tip
Always check your food cost from last month before you start a promotion. If it's already above 33%, a promotion won't solve anything but only makes it worse.
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
Can I also put expensive dishes on promotion if they're popular?
Only if your food cost stays under 25% after the discount. A popular steak with 40% food cost becomes unprofitable at 20% off. Better to adjust the side dishes to lower the total cost.
How much discount can I give maximum without running at a loss?
That depends on your food cost. At 25% food cost you can give maximum 15-20% discount and still make profit. At 30% food cost, any discount above 10% becomes risky for your margin.
Do I need to inform my supplier when I plan a promotion?
Yes, definitely for big promotions. If you expect to sell 3x as much pasta carbonara, you also need to order 3x as many ingredients. Discuss this beforehand to avoid running out of stock.
When is the best time for promotions seasonally?
Plan promotions around cheap seasonal ingredients. Pumpkin dishes in October, asparagus in May, tomato dishes in July. Then your purchase prices are low and you can give more discount without losing margin.
How long should a promotion run to be effective?
Minimum 2 weeks, maximum 6 weeks. Shorter than 2 weeks your guests barely notice it. Longer than 6 weeks it becomes the 'normal' price and you lose the promotion effect.
📚 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.
Purchase smarter with real-time insights
Seasonal prices fluctuate — so do your recipe costs. KitchenNmbrs automatically recalculates your margins when purchase prices change. Never get surprised again. Start free.
Start free trial →