Most burger shops lose money on every order because they miscalculate their true ingredient costs. Small expenses like sauces, cooking oil, and vegetable waste add up fast. Here's how to calculate your exact burger cost price so you stop bleeding money.
Gather all ingredients and prices
Your burger contains more components than most owners realize. For precise cost calculations, you need every single item that touches the plate:
- Hamburger bun (top and bottom)
- Meat (beef patty, chicken, vegan)
- Vegetables (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle)
- Sauces (mayo, ketchup, special sauce)
- Cheese (if you use it)
- Fries as a side
- Oil for cooking
💡 Example ingredient list:
- Brioche bun: €0.85
- Beef patty 150g: €2.40
- Cheddar cheese: €0.35
- Lettuce, tomato, onion: €0.45
- Special sauce: €0.15
- Fries 200g: €0.60
- Oil for cooking: €0.10
Total cost price: €4.90
Calculate the quantity per portion
Measure exactly how much you use per burger. Weigh everything or establish fixed portion sizes. Most standard burgers use 120-180 grams of meat.
⚠️ Note:
Calculate using cooked weight. Meat shrinks 15-25% during cooking. So 150g raw becomes roughly 120g cooked.
For sauces and oil, work with standard portions:
- Mayo/ketchup: 15-20 grams per burger
- Special sauce: 20-30 grams per burger
- Oil for cooking: 5-10 grams per burger
Account for cutting loss and waste
Fresh vegetables always have waste from trimming and spoilage. Add 10-20% extra to cover this loss:
💡 Cutting loss example:
You buy tomatoes for €3.00/kg. With 15% cutting loss, your actual price becomes:
€3.00 ÷ 0.85 = €3.53/kg usable tomato
Calculate the food cost percentage
Once you've got your total cost price, calculate food cost percentage with this formula:
Food cost % = (Cost price of ingredients ÷ Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
💡 Food cost calculation:
Cost price: €4.90 | Menu price: €16.50 incl. 9% VAT
- Selling price excl. VAT: €16.50 ÷ 1.09 = €15.14
- Food cost: (€4.90 ÷ €15.14) × 100 = 32.4%
That's a solid margin for burger operations.
Standard food cost for burgers
Successful burger shops maintain food costs between 25% and 35%. Above 35%? You're not making enough profit. Below 25% might mean you're pricing yourself out of your market.
- Fast food burgers: 20-28%
- Casual dining burgers: 28-35%
- Premium burgers: 30-40%
Something most kitchen managers discover too late: those tiny sauce costs compound into serious money over thousands of orders. Track every gram.
⚠️ Note:
Always calculate using prices excluding VAT. Your menu shows 9% VAT included. Forget this step and your food cost will look artificially low.
How do you calculate the cost price of a burger? (step by step)
Make a complete ingredient list
Write down all ingredients that go in your burger: bun, meat, vegetables, sauces, cheese and fries. Don't forget small things like cooking oil and spices.
Determine the quantity per portion
Measure or weigh how much of each ingredient you use per burger. For meat usually 120-180g, for sauces 15-30g. Calculate with weight after cooking.
Look up the purchase prices
Check your latest invoices for the price per kilo or per unit. Include cutting loss for fresh products (10-20% extra).
Calculate the costs per ingredient
Multiply the quantity per portion by the price per kilo. For example: 150g meat × €16/kg = €2.40 per burger.
Add everything up for the total cost price
Sum all ingredient costs. This is your cost price per burger. Divide this by your selling price (excl. VAT) and multiply by 100 for your food cost percentage.
✨ Pro tip
Weigh your actual burger components for 10 orders this week, then compare to your calculated portions. Most shops discover they're using 15-20% more ingredients than planned.
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
How do I calculate the costs of homemade sauces?
Add up all sauce ingredients (mayo, spices, oil) and divide by total portions made. A typical special sauce portion costs €0.10-€0.25. Don't forget labor time for mixing.
Should I include fries in the cost price of my burger?
Yes, if fries come standard with your burger, include those costs. Budget approximately €0.50-€0.80 per fries portion, depending on quantity and potato quality.
How much meat shrinkage should I factor in?
Beef and pork lose 15-25% weight during cooking. Chicken loses slightly less at 10-20%. Always calculate portions based on final cooked weight, not raw weight.
📚 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.
Food cost calculation for every type of kitchen
Sushi, pizzeria, steakhouse or vegan concept — every kitchen type has its own challenges. KitchenNmbrs adapts to your concept. Try it free for 14 days.
Start free trial →