Prime cost · Sandwich and deli
Prime cost benchmarks for sandwich and deli
Sandwich and deli operators typically run a prime cost of 55-63% — labour 25-31%, cost of goods 28-34%. Here is what drives it, and the number worth watching instead.
The bands
Close to fast casual with a narrower daypart, which concentrates the staffing problem into a few hours.
Labour minutes per order across the lunch peak.
Why the band is not your target
These ranges are orientation, not management. The benchmark that matters is your own best location, because it already proves what is achievable on your menu, your suppliers and your labour market — and nobody can argue it is unrealistic.
In a twelve-store group measured in August 2026, the group averaged 50.2% prime cost. Underneath that average the best store ran 23.60% and the worst ran 75.84% — same brand, same menu, same suppliers.
How sandwich and deli compares to other formats
| Format | Prime cost | Labour | COGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick service (QSR) | 55-62% | 25-30% | 28-33% |
| Fast casual | 58-65% | 27-32% | 29-34% |
| Full service | 60-68% | 30-35% | 28-34% |
| Pizza | 52-60% | 25-30% | 25-30% |
| Coffee shop | 50-58% | 28-34% | 20-26% |
| Bar and pub | 52-60% | 24-30% | 24-30% |
| Ghost kitchen | 55-68% | 20-26% | 30-38% |
| Bakery | 52-62% | 28-35% | 22-30% |
| Sandwich and deli | 55-63% | 25-31% | 28-34% |
| Juice and smoothie | 50-60% | 27-33% | 22-29% |
| Food truck | 50-60% | 22-28% | 28-34% |
| Catering | 48-60% | 22-30% | 26-32% |
Before you trust any of these numbers
A prime cost figure is only as good as the hours behind it. If some of your worked hours have no cost attached — because staff clocked in on the POS but were never mapped to a roster record — your labour percentage, and therefore your prime cost, reads lower than reality.
In practice most multi-unit groups sit between 60% and 85% coverage before that is fixed. Check yours free →
Other formats
Quick service (QSR) · Fast casual · Full service · Pizza · Coffee shop · Bar and pub · Ghost kitchen · Bakery · Juice and smoothie · Food truck · Catering