Restaurant aperitif arrangements generate 15-20% higher profit margins than individual drink orders when priced correctly. Most operators miscalculate by ignoring snack costs and garnish expenses. The result? Margins that look good on paper but disappoint in reality.
What's included in the cost price of an aperitif arrangement?
Most restaurant owners focus solely on drink pricing for aperitif arrangements. But there's much more at stake:
- Drinks: wine, beer, cocktails, non-alcoholic
- Snacks: cheese, cold cuts, nuts, olives, bread
- Garnish: lemon slices, olives in cocktails, fresh herbs
- Tableware: glasses, plates, napkins (if you charge for this)
- Labor: time to prepare and serve snacks
⚠️ Note:
Alcoholic drinks carry 21% VAT, not 9%. This impacts your margin calculation directly. Always work with prices excluding VAT for accuracy.
The basic formula for margin calculation
For aperitif arrangements you'll use the same formula as dishes, but apply it to the entire package:
Margin % = ((Selling price excl. VAT - Total costs) / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
Or flip it around when you know your costs:
Cost price % = (Total costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
? Example aperitif arrangement for 2 people:
Selling price: €24.20 incl. 21% VAT = €20.00 excl. VAT
- 2 glasses of prosecco: €3.60
- Cheese and cold cuts board: €2.40
- Olives and nuts: €1.20
- Bread and butter: €0.80
Total costs: €8.00
Margin: ((€20.00 - €8.00) / €20.00) × 100 = 60%
How do you calculate drink costs correctly?
Drink costs require per-glass or per-portion calculations. Pay close attention to actual quantities served:
- Wine per glass: 125ml from 750ml bottle = 6 glasses per bottle
- Prosecco: 100-125ml per glass = 6-7 glasses per bottle
- Beer: typically 250ml or 330ml bottles
- Cocktails: sum all ingredients (spirit, mixers, garnish)
? Example prosecco calculation:
Bottle of prosecco: €10.80 purchase price
- 6 glasses per bottle
- Cost price per glass: €10.80 / 6 = €1.80
- For 2 glasses: €3.60
Calculate snack cost price
Snacks get consistently underestimated in cost calculations. From analyzing actual purchasing data across different restaurant types, snack costs can eat up 15-25% more margin than operators expect. Calculate per person and total everything:
- Cheese: 30-40 grams per person
- Cold cuts: 25-35 grams per person
- Bread: 1-2 slices per person
- Olives: 5-8 pieces per person
- Nuts: 15-20 grams per person
? Example snacks for 2 people:
- 60g cheese at €18/kg = €1.08
- 50g cold cuts at €24/kg = €1.20
- 10 olives at €8/kg = €0.32
- 30g nuts at €12/kg = €0.36
- 2 slices bread + butter = €0.44
Total snacks: €3.40
Standard margins for aperitif arrangements
Aperitif arrangements typically deliver higher margins than main courses. Guests pay premium prices for the experience and convenience:
- Standard margin: 55-70%
- Cost price percentage: 30-45%
- Minimum margin: 50% (below this isn't profitable)
⚠️ Note:
If your margin drops below 50%, you'll probably earn more selling drinks and snacks separately. Always verify this assumption.
Include labor time in the cost price
Don't overlook labor costs. Aperitif arrangements demand more work than simple drink service:
- Assembling the board: 3-5 minutes
- Serving and explaining: 2-3 minutes
- Clearing up: 2 minutes
At €15 hourly wages, this adds approximately €2.00 in labor per arrangement.
Related articles
How do you calculate the margin of an aperitif arrangement?
Make a list of all costs
Write down all drinks, snacks, garnishes and possibly labor time. Don't forget anything: even the olive in the cocktail and the bread roll count towards the cost price.
Calculate the costs per item
Work out what each drink costs per glass and each snack per portion. Note: alcoholic drinks have 21% VAT, so calculate with the price excluding VAT.
Add up all costs and calculate the margin
Sum all costs and divide by your selling price excluding VAT. Subtract this from 100% to get your margin. Above 50%? Then you have a healthy margin.
✨ Pro tip
Audit your top 3 aperitif arrangements every 6 weeks for cost creep and portion drift. Staff tend to over-pour and over-portion on popular items, which can drop a 65% margin to 45% without you noticing.
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
Should I include labor time in the cost price of an aperitif?
What VAT should I charge on an aperitif arrangement?
What is a good margin on an aperitif arrangement?
How often should I check my aperitif 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
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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