Beer & Wine
Serves per bottle = Bottle size (ml) / Pour size (ml) Effective serves = Serves × (1 − Wastage %) Cost per glass = Bottle cost / Effective serves Selling price = Cost per glass / Target food cost % Revenue per bottle = Selling price × Effective serves Example (Chianti DOC, 125ml pour, 5% waste): 750ml / 125ml = 6 serves × 0.95 = 5.7 serves Bottle cost €7 / 5.7 = €1.23 cost per glass At 25% food cost → sell at €4.91 → round to €5.00 Revenue per bottle = 5.7 × €5 = €28.50
A 0.75L bottle yields 6 glasses at the standard Italian restaurant pour of 125ml. Some venues pour 150ml (5 glasses) or offer a small 100ml tasting pour (7 glasses). The 125ml pour is the EU reference quantity for alcohol labelling.
Multiply your bottle cost by 3–4× to set the by-the-glass price. A bottle costing €8 wholesale should yield 6 glasses at €4–5 each (revenue €24–30), achieving a food cost of 27–33%. Higher-end wines (Barolo, Amarone) often command a 2.5× multiplier due to perceived value.
125ml is the standard Italian restaurant pour, equivalent to one unit. Some establishments offer a calice da 100ml (tasting pour) or a quartino (250ml carafe, approximately 2 glasses). Prosecco and sparkling wines are typically served in 100–125ml flutes.
A typical Italian house wine costs €4–7 per bottle. At 6 glasses × €5.50 each = €33 revenue. After cost of €5, gross profit is €28 (85% gross margin). Wine is typically the highest-margin category in Italian restaurant beverage sales.
Yes. Opened bottles that are not finished may need to be discarded (or used for cooking). Budget 5–10% wastage for wines served by the glass. Wine preservation systems like Coravin can reduce wastage significantly for premium by-the-glass programmes.
High-volume, well-known DOC/DOCG wines work best: Chianti Classico, Pinot Grigio delle Venezie, Vermentino, Prosecco DOC, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and Primitivo di Manduria. Reserve Barolo and Brunello are better sold by the bottle or through Coravin pours.