How do you price a breakfast with 15+ different ingredients without losing your shirt? Turkish breakfast spreads look impressive on Instagram, but they're notorious for hidden costs that sneak up on restaurant owners. Those tiny portions of cheese, olives, and spreads add up faster than you'd think.
What goes into a complete Turkish breakfast spread?
An authentic Turkish breakfast consists of many small portions of different ingredients. The basics always include:
- Fresh breads (simit, pide, or Turkish bread)
- Different cheeses (beyaz peynir, kaşar)
- Olives (black and green)
- Tomatoes and cucumber
- Boiled eggs
- Honey and jam
- Tea (çay)
Plus often: sucuk (sausage), börek, fresh herbs, butter and various dips like haydari or acuka.
Calculate the quantities per person
For a Turkish breakfast you calculate differently than for a regular dish. You serve many small portions that are shared. Per person you typically count:
💡 Example portions for 2 people:
- Bread: 4 slices Turkish bread (200g)
- Beyaz peynir: 150g
- Kaşar cheese: 100g
- Olives: 80g mixed
- Tomato: 2 medium (300g)
- Cucumber: 1 small (200g)
- Eggs: 2 pieces
- Honey: 2 portions (40g)
- Jam: 2 portions (40g)
- Tea: 4 glasses
Calculate all ingredient costs
Go systematically through all ingredients and calculate the costs per portion. Note: many ingredients you buy per kilo but use in grams.
💡 Example cost calculation:
- Turkish bread (200g): €3.50/kg = €0.70
- Beyaz peynir (150g): €18.00/kg = €2.70
- Kaşar cheese (100g): €22.00/kg = €2.20
- Olives (80g): €12.00/kg = €0.96
- Tomato (300g): €4.00/kg = €1.20
- Cucumber (200g): €2.50/kg = €0.50
- Eggs (2 pieces): €0.30/piece = €0.60
- Honey (40g): €8.00/kg = €0.32
- Jam (40g): €6.00/kg = €0.24
- Tea (4 glasses): €0.10/glass = €0.40
Total ingredient costs: €9.82 for 2 people
Don't forget the small things
With a Turkish breakfast there are many small ingredients you easily forget, but they do cost money. This is the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss - those €0.05 portions of butter and herbs matter more than you think. Think of:
- Butter for the bread
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley or dill
- Olive oil
- Sugar for the tea
⚠️ Attention:
Always add 5-10% extra for small ingredients you forget. At €9.82 that comes down to €0.50 to €1.00 extra.
Determine your selling price
With the total ingredient costs you can determine your selling price. For a Turkish breakfast restaurants often use a slightly lower food cost because it's labor-intensive to prepare.
At €10.50 ingredient costs (including extras) and a desired food cost of 28%:
Minimum selling price = €10.50 / 0.28 = €37.50 excl. VAT
Including 9% VAT: €37.50 × 1.09 = €40.88
Rounded: €41.00 for 2 people on the menu.
💡 Check your competition:
Turkish breakfast for 2 people is often offered between €35-50. At €41 you're well positioned in the market and maintain a healthy margin.
Keep an eye on seasons
Many ingredients for Turkish breakfast fluctuate in price. Tomatoes are more expensive in winter, cheese prices vary, and imported specialties can suddenly become more expensive.
Check your purchasing figures at least monthly and adjust your cost price accordingly. With a system like tools for food cost calculations you can quickly recalculate what price changes mean for your margin.
How do you calculate the cost price of a Turkish breakfast? (step by step)
Make a complete ingredient list
Write down all ingredients that go into your Turkish breakfast, including small things like butter, herbs and tea. Determine per ingredient how much you need for 2 people in grams or pieces.
Look up all purchase prices
Go through your supplier invoices and note the kilo price of each ingredient. Convert to the costs per gram or per piece that you actually use.
Add up all costs and add 5-10% extra
Sum all ingredient costs and add 5-10% for small things you forget. This gives you the total cost price for 2 people.
Determine your selling price with desired food cost
Divide your total ingredient costs by your desired food cost percentage (for example 0.28 for 28%). Multiply by 1.09 for the price including VAT.
✨ Pro tip
Weigh your complete Turkish breakfast spread 3 times during your first week and calculate the average. Most kitchens underestimate portions by 15-25%, especially on shared plates.
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 is a normal food cost for a Turkish breakfast?
For a Turkish breakfast a healthy food cost is between 25-30%. It's labor-intensive to prepare, so you can use a slightly lower food cost than for regular dishes.
Should I include the tea in the cost price?
Yes, tea also has costs. Calculate approximately €0.10 per glass of çay. At 4 glasses for 2 people that's €0.40 in tea costs.
How often should I update my cost price?
Check your purchase prices at least monthly, especially for cheese and imported specialties. These can fluctuate significantly and affect your margin.
Can I use cheaper alternatives?
You can use Dutch cheese instead of imported Turkish cheese, but communicate this honestly to your guests. Authentic ingredients often justify a higher price.
📚 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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