What is a good food cost percentage for gyros?

Gyros typically run 28-34% food cost. Meat choice (lamb blend vs. chicken) is the main driver, since lamb costs meaningfully more per pound than chicken.

Why does spit-roasted meat cost more than the raw purchase price suggests?

Vertical spit cooking causes real weight loss from rendered fat and moisture over the cooking time. The effective cost per usable ounce is higher than the raw purchase price implies.

Should tzatziki be portioned with a measuring tool?

Yes. Free-pouring yogurt-based sauces is one of the more common sources of cost inconsistency in Mediterranean menus — a standardized portion cup keeps cost predictable order to order.

Mediterranean / Greek

How to Price Gyro: Food Cost Breakdown & Menu Price Guide

Last reviewed: July 28, 2026

Short answer

Gyro typically runs a food cost of 28–34%, supporting a menu price of $10–$14 depending on portion size and ingredient quality. A worked example below shows the exact math for one common version.

What Drives Gyro Cost

Meat (lamb, beef, or chicken)

45–55% of cost

The dominant cost, and spit-roasted meat has real trim and cooking loss

Pita

8–10% of cost

Cheap per serving

Tzatziki sauce

10–15% of cost

Yogurt-based, moderate cost, easy to over-portion

Vegetables (tomato, onion, lettuce)

10–15% of cost

Small but adds up across volume

Worked Example

Ingredient	Amount	Cost
Gyro meat (lamb/beef blend)	5 oz cooked	$2.40
Pita bread	1	$0.40
Tzatziki	2 oz	$0.35
Tomato, onion, lettuce	—	$0.30
Total ingredient cost		$3.45

Target Food Cost

30%

Suggested Menu Price

$11.50

Actual food cost: 30.0%

Common Pricing Mistakes

Costing spit meat at raw weight before cooking loss

Vertical spit-roasted meat loses significant weight to rendered fat and moisture during cooking. Costing against the raw, pre-cook weight understates true cost.

Free-pouring tzatziki instead of portioning it

Yogurt-based sauces are easy to over-pour without a standardized portion tool, and tzatziki has real ingredient cost that adds up when inconsistently applied.

Not differentiating lamb-blend pricing from all-chicken options

Lamb typically costs more than chicken, and a menu offering both should price them to reflect the actual cost gap rather than a single flat gyro price.

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