Which restaurant items have the best and worst margins?

[SmackFu]

This is a really general question. Everyone knows that soft drinks have the highest profit margin at a restaurant. The cost is pennies on the dollar in most cases. Besides that, what kind of stuff do they make the most and least money on? More directly, if I really want to stick it to them, what should I order?

[MC Master of Ceremonies]

Organic food general has alot higher profit margin than non-organic, so never ever buy it.

[Purd Werfect]

I know that organic food can cost more to buy, but where is it shown that the profit margins are a lot higher?

[Yossarian]

If you're looking for cost-effective pizza, ask for black olives instead of pepperoni. IIRC from my Domino's days, the cost difference between these two items can be described in terms of "orders of magnitude"--yet you pay the same for one topping no matter what that topping is.

[sailor]

I would say the wine is where they get ya.

[MC Master of Ceremonies]

Originally posted by Purd Werfect
I know that organic food can cost more to buy, but where is it shown that the profit margins are a lot higher?

Trust me (I used to order the stuff for a supermarket) the mark-up on organic foods are much higher than normal foods (probably because it's considered 'luxury' food). Yes, it does cost signicantly more to produce but retailers love it and delibrately push it as they make much more money on it.

In the UK (I'm unsure about the US but I imagine pricing practices are pretty simlair) for example, the leading supermarket in organic food has a mark up of 10-15% on normal F+V but puts a mark-up in the region of 40% on most organic F+V.

[Purd Werfect]

Okay, I accept that in your experience, there's more markup. I tend to buy at smaller non-chain stores and farmers markets anyway, and the prices seem pretty reasonable. I would like to see a cite that speaks on a wider basis as to the profit margins as contrasted to non-organically grown food.

As far as "never ever" buying it, I have reasons which I consider valid for paying extra, the most prominent amongst them stringent requirements for sustainable land use without the use of chemicals.

As for the OP, I've heard that fountain soda is a great margin product costing a few cents to the retailer and marked up considerably to the customer.

[Purd Werfect]

More on fountain soda here.

Few items match fountain drinks’ profit margins. In c-stores, the 60% gross margin of fountain beverages is nearly double the 31% margin for other merchandise, according to the National Association of Convenience Stores’ (NACS) 1999 Fact Book.

[WortMeWorry]

Best margins.
Pasta, cook the noodles ahead of time, refrigerate, and heat as needed.
Purd Werfect is right, soda, most of it comes as syrup. The restaurant controls the quality.
French fries, can you say " Super Size"?
As Sailor mentioned, Wine, or Booze in general. How many shots of liquor do you have to sell before the bottle makes a profit?
Don't even get me started on, "bar liquor", which most of your mixed drinks are made with.