Posted on Tuesday, 28ᵗʰ January, 2025
As local food businesses navigate an uncertain economy and changing consumer preferences, understanding the profitability of your dishes is more important than ever. The items on your sandwich menu are no exception.
From cost-effective preparation to their appeal across different demographics, sandwiches present a unique opportunity for food operators to earn a solid margin.
Let’s investigate the many ways sandwiches can boost your bottom line.
A constant challenge for food businesses is staff recruitment, retention and training. Fortunately, sandwich preparation offers a low skill threshold, meaning even the newest kitchen hand can create a crowd-pleasing sando without the burden of close supervision from a superior.
This ease of preparation translates to lower labour costs, as operators do not need to hire highly trained chefs to make sandwiches. Additionally, minimal training is required for kitchen staff, further reducing labour expenses.
The straightforward nature of this dish preparation means that new employees can be quickly trained to produce consistent, high-quality sandwiches. This reduces the time and cost associated with onboarding new staff, allowing operators to maintain a lean and efficient workforce. The simplicity of the process also means that staff can be cross trained to handle other tasks, increasing overall productivity.
The ingredients required for a basic sandwich are generally less expensive when compared with other menu items. Bread, proteins, vegetables and condiments can all be sourced at a relatively low cost, especially when bought in bulk.
However, setting a sandwich apart can be as simple as switching out a basic ingredient for something a little more special, and one such ingredient is bread.
Premium breads can significantly elevate the value perception of a sandwich, transforming an ordinary sando into a memorable slab. The choice of bread can set the tone for the entire sandwich experience, inviting a sensory journey from the first bite. Artisan loaves, such as sourdough, ciabatta, panini and brioche, offer unique textures and flavours that complement and enhance the fillings inside.
By incorporating premium breads into a sandwich, food operators can increase the perception of value and adopt a pricing strategy that boosts profitability.
Other inclusions that improve the value equation for customers include exotic spices, colourful ingredients, loaded portions and signature sauces, giving operators the scope to elevate their sandwiches and justify higher price points.
Quick and easy to prepare, simple to plate or pack, and involving very little waste, sandwiches can be great for business. Try our top three delicious yet cost-effective sandwich recipe ideas.
Chopped Steak Sandwich
Whole ingredients and leftovers can help you keep costs down. Our version of the TikTok phenomenon cleverly uses would-be waste to help create a sanger that’s as cost-efficient as it is delicious.
Niçoise Open Sandwich
With its high perceived value, this open sandwich looks incredible and uses fewer ingredients when compared with a full sandwich, reducing your cost of goods.
Grilled Kim-Cheese Sandwich
Try this delicious sanger that, despite its simplicity, features the ever-growing-in-popularity kimchi to deliver an appealing tang while being relatively cheap and easy to make by any member of staff.
They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but the moderate cost of producing a top-class sandwich means customers can enjoy great value while operators make solid margins.
Sandwiches occupy a sweet spot in the market, particularly during times of economic uncertainty. With cost-of-living pressures and persistently high interest rates influencing consumer spending patterns, sandwiches offer a cost-effective meal option that does not compromise on quality or satisfaction. This adaptability makes them an attractive choice for customers and operators.
While it might have been unthinkable a decade ago to see sandwiches pushing $20, venues are today creating exceptional slabs loaded with premium ingredients for what is, after all, roughly the same price as a Caesar salad.
The message for operators? More than a quick meal, a quality sandwich is increasingly a gourmet experience … an affordable luxury that continues to generate excellent margins.
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Disclaimer: The content of this article is created for inspiration purposes only. It is not intended as clinical, medical or nutritional advice.
