Hello from ICHIZEN. When you plan to add a matcha latte to your menu or open a matcha shop, one question soon comes up: how much should you charge for a cup?
Knowing your cost per cup first makes it much easier to set a sustainable price. This guide walks through how to calculate the cost of a matcha latte, with a concrete example.
What goes into the cost of a matcha latte?
The cost of a single matcha latte mainly comes from these ingredients and supplies.
Matcha: grams per cup × cost per gram.
Milk: milliliters per cup × cost per milliliter.
Sweetener: the amount of syrup or sugar, if you add it.
Packaging: cups, lids, straws, sleeves, and so on.
Matcha is used in small amounts per cup but has a relatively high price per gram, so it tends to make up a large share of the cost. It is worth calculating carefully.
How do you calculate the matcha cost per cup?
The formula is simple: divide the package price by its weight to get the price per gram, then multiply by the amount used per cup.
ICHIZEN’s standard recipe uses 2.5 g of matcha, 20–30 ml of hot water at 70–80°C, and 150–180 ml of milk. Using the 30 g pouch at its Japanese retail price of ¥4,800 before tax, that is ¥160 per gram, or ¥400 for a 2.5 g cup. A 30 g pouch makes about 12 cups.
If you buy through wholesale, prices depend on the terms of the deal, so run the same calculation with the price your supplier quotes.
Convert milk and packaging to per-cup amounts too
For milk, divide the price of a carton by its volume and multiply by the amount per cup. Do the same for cups and lids, dividing the bulk price by the number of units. The total gives you an estimated cost per cup.
Allow for waste, which is easy to overlook
In a real shop, not everything goes according to the numbers. There is matcha used for trial batches and taste checks, drinks that need remaking, and ingredients discarded unsold.
At first, it helps to add a margin to the calculated cost. Once you are open, recording how much you actually use and how many cups you sell shows you your own numbers.
How should you think about price from cost?
Price is not set by cost alone. Rent, staffing, location, and the value customers see in the drink all play a part. Still, tracking cost as a share of the selling price (the cost ratio) makes it easier to compare with other menu items.
Using less matcha lowers the cost, but it also changes the taste and color. Taste-test before deciding whether the drink still satisfies. For the bigger picture, see our guide on how to start a matcha business.
Knowing your numbers helps you serve with confidence
Costing starts with converting matcha, milk, sweetener, and packaging into per-cup amounts, adding them up, and allowing for waste. Once the numbers are clear, you can price and describe your drinks with confidence.
For pricing and volumes when using ICHIZEN matcha professionally, please contact us through our wholesale inquiry page.
FAQ
What should you include when calculating the cost of a matcha latte?
Convert the matcha, milk, sweetener, and cups, lids, or straws into per-cup amounts and add them together. Allowing for trial batches and waste brings the figure closer to reality.
Does using less matcha lower the cost?
It lowers the cost, but it also changes the taste and color. Before reducing the amount, taste-test to make sure the drink still feels worth serving.
Where can you find wholesale matcha prices?
Wholesale prices often vary with order volume and format, so ask suppliers directly. ICHIZEN also provides details through its wholesale inquiry page.
