Food cost explained with a latte and a lahmacun; pricing against competitors; menu size, waste and repricing under inflation.
8 min read · Updated 2026-09-05
A latte sells for ₺180; beans (18 g × ₺1,600/kg = ₺29), milk (200 ml = ₺12), cup and lid (₺6) = ₺47 → 26% food cost. A lahmacun sells for ₺160; dough, mince, vegetables, oil and waste come to ₺58 → 36%. Cafe menus run 25-32%, restaurants 30-38%, patisseries 28-35%. Compute the ratio on the price excluding VAT: of ₺180, ₺163.6 is yours.
Take three anchor prices from three competitors (filter coffee, breakfast plate, main course). Going 20% above the district band needs a visible reason (production, service, space); 30% above is a red flag for investors. FIZIB compares your average ticket with the concept and district band.
The average ticket is the total of a typical order, not the most expensive item: latte plus cookie, main plus drink. Ways to grow it: pairing suggestions (coffee + dessert), sizes, combos, small items by the counter. A 10% higher ticket moves year-1 profit almost as much as 10% more occupancy.
A focused 15-25 item menu means less stock, less waste (3% instead of 6-8%) and shorter training. Track units sold and contribution per item; raise prices on high-volume low-margin items and visibility of low-volume high-margin ones.
Coffee beans are EUR-priced (₺1,400-1,900/kg); milk and flour rise fast. Ask your roaster, bakery and wholesaler for 30-day terms and a monthly price list. Do not depend on a single supplier.
Costs rise monthly while menus are usually repriced quarterly; the lag squeezes gross margin (each extra 10 points of inflation ≈ 1.2 points of margin). Reprice immediately in January (minimum wage) and after big supplier increases; a QR menu makes this easy. Prices must include VAT and be visible before ordering.
With 25-33% commission, the same price can lose money on delivery; a 10-15% higher platform menu price is common and legitimate.
The 14-allergen declaration is mandatory on the menu; a service charge must be announced on the menu in advance.
Answer the questions; get your 36-month projection and investor deck.
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