EP 3 — Pricing for Profit, Not for Popularity

Once the real cost per dish is clear,
the next question becomes inevitable:

What should the selling price be?

A globally accepted operational benchmark states:

Food cost should remain between 30–35% of the selling price.

Example:
Cost per dish = 90 THB
Target food cost = 30%

Selling price = Cost ÷ 0.30
90 ÷ 0.30 = 300 THB

At this price, revenue can support:

• Payroll and kitchen teams
  • Rent and property expenses
  • Utilities and operating costs
  • Administrative overhead
  • And still generate genuine profit

But if the same dish is sold at 180 THB,
food cost rises to 50%.

Even with full tables daily,
profit quietly disappears.

This explains a statement heard across the industry:

“We are busy — but there is no profit.”

Not because food lacks quality,
but because pricing was never built on verified cost.

Once pricing is grounded in real numbers,
restaurant owners gain genuine business control —
and financial confidence replaces uncertainty.

At Vigor, we define this transition simply:

From passion-driven operation
to profit-driven hospitality leadership.