Food cost calculator for burgers and hot dogs
How much does a sandwich really cost you, and at what price should you sell it? Enter ingredients and weights: the calculator gives you the sandwich's cost, the food cost as a percentage and the recommended price.
The formula
Sandwich cost = sum of (grams ÷ 1000 × price per kg) for each ingredient.
Food cost % = sandwich cost ÷ selling price net of VAT × 100 (in Italy eat-in foodservice is generally subject to 10% VAT).
Recommended price = sandwich cost ÷ target food cost, plus VAT. Many venues work with a target between 25% and 35%: the right figure depends on rent, staff and positioning.
Average ingredient prices come from public wholesale price lists (ISMEA Mercati, SogeMi fruit and vegetable market in Milan, Modena Chamber of Commerce) or are declared editorial estimates: replace them with your own. Buns don't have an average price: ask the supplier for the price list. All prices are in euros (EUR), referring to the Italian market.
With “Request price list” we put you in touch with the most suitable supplier for that bun and often arrange free samples for you.
Try it now: classic cheeseburger
| Ingredient | Grams | €/kg | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic bun | 80 | 5.00 | € 0.400 | 15.9 % |
| Minced beef for burgers | 150 | 11.00 | € 1.650 | 65.5 % |
| Sliced cheddar (processed cheese) | 20 | 11.00 | € 0.220 | 8.7 % |
| Iceberg lettuce | 15 | 2.30 | € 0.034 | 1.4 % |
| Smooth round vine tomato | 30 | 2.75 | € 0.082 | 3.3 % |
| Red onion | 10 | 1.05 | € 0.011 | 0.4 % |
| Burger sauce (special sauce style) | 20 | 6.00 | € 0.120 | 4.8 % |
Calculate your sandwiches, with your prices
Sign up for free: build the sandwiches for your menu by choosing from dozens of ingredients, save your prices, compare recipes, download the cost sheet as a PDF and start from recipes for your venue. The calculator is always at hand: sign in with your email and password. Recipes for your venue.