Have you ever wondered about the average cost to make a pizza?
It definitely crosses the minds of pizza lovers who may ponder over starting their own home-based pizza making endeavor.
Surprisingly the cost is influenced by a variety of factors.
From the basic ingredients to the type of crust every little detail plays a significant role.
But here’s a shocker – you might be left stunned by how much pizzerias mark-up their prices!
Table of Contents
Average Cost
When it comes to the average cost to make pizza a sizable chunk is tied to the ingredients used. This is followed by expenses like labor rent utilities and other costs.
For a large cheese pizza this breakdown can be $3.91 for ingredients and $1.60 for labor. When you factor in overhead costs such as rent and utilities the cost ramps up to $5.65 per pizza.
This brings the total overhead cost for one large cheese pizza to $11.16 leaving a profit of $5.34 per pizza made.
Despite the thin profit margins many independent pizzerias continue to provide high-quality homemade pies. These establishments have to contend with the usual economic aspects of running a restaurant along with the stiff competition posed by fast-food pizza chains.
However maintaining regular foot traffic especially during peak periods like Saturday-night rush or holidays like Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve can significantly improve revenues and keep the business afloat.
Homemade Pizza
Making pizza at home can be a cost-saving alternative to ordering from a restaurant. Let’s break down the cost to make a pizza at home.
Starting with the pizza dough a 5lb bag of high-quality flour costs about $9.99. So for a single batch of dough wherein 500 grams of flour are used we’re looking at a cost of $5.50.
Adding water which is largely available free yeast at $0.06 and sea salt at $0.032 we arrive at a total cost of $5.592 for the pizza dough alone.
Then let’s factor in the toppings. A can of organic tomatoes for instance will run you about $3.99.
Low moisture mozzarella cheese and fresh basil would add another $7.99 to our cost bringing the total up to a reasonable $11.98 for three pizzas or $3.99 for a single homemade pizza.
This yields an average cost to make pizza at home being approximately $2.45. This is significantly cheaper compared to pizza from a restaurant which could cost anywhere between $15-20.
Hence making pizzas at home not only saves you money but also offers an opportunity to experiment with different homemade pizza recipes.
Comparison To Take Out
The average cost to make pizza at home versus take out gives one an interesting perspective. While a restaurant charged $15-20 per pizza making it at home cuts the cost significantly.
A homemade pizza costs just $5.82 resulting in tremendous savings especially if pizza is a regular part of your diet.
Eating at home isn’t just cost-effective – it also provides an enjoyable creative culinary experience. For food lovers desiring more than mass-produced ingredients available at fast-food pizza chains homemade pizzas offer complete creative control over all ingredients.
The average cost to make pizza at home may well be worth the extra effort for the taste payoff.
Part of the cost is in the tools. If you want a restaurant-quality crust at home investing in an item like a Baking Steel could be a good move.
It may seem like a big expense but quickly pays for itself given the cost savings from making pizza at home.
Cost Breakdown
Taking a deeper look let’s break down the cost to make pizza at home. The pizza dough is a critical part of the pizza where 500 grams of flour will cost around $5.50 1 gram of yeast costs about $0.06 and 16 grams of sea salt brings the cost up by $0.032.
The total cost for a batch of homemade dough is $5.592.
| Ingredient | Cost |
|---|---|
| Flour (500 grams) | $5.50 |
| Yeast (1 gram) | $0.06 |
| Sea Salt (16 grams) | $0.032 |
| Total | $5.592 |
Moving on to the toppings which will be approximately $3.99 per pizza and the complete cost to make your own homemade pie comes out to a reasonable $5.82.
If we consider additional expenses such as electricity which costs roughly $0.25 per pizza and the initial expenditure for a pizza stone that costs about $20-$30 your homemade pizza stays significantly cheaper than your local takeout even after considering these costs.
Money-Saving Tips
Operating an independent pizzeria like a family-owned restaurant in a suburban space places the restaurant owners in an intense hustle. Costs of rent utilities ingredients labor and maintenance pile up.
A cost-effective solution for this struggle is homemade pizza a popular alternative to constantly buying takeout pizza or frozen pizzas.
Creating a batch of homemade dough using high-quality ingredients like high-gluten flour sea salt and yeast will cost around $5.592. Add essentials such as tomatoes mozzarella cheese and basil for your pizza toppings this averages to a cost-saving $3.99 per pizza.
Given the cost of electricity lease employee’s salaries and overhead the average cost to make pizza in a restaurant environment can skyrocket. Through utilizing bulk buying strategies one can drastically reduce the cost-per-pizza.
Purchase materials ingredients and cleaning supplies in bulk to secure better deals and savings in the long run.
For instance acquiring a 28oz can of organic tomatoes for $3.99 low moisture mozzarella cheese costs for $7.99 the total cost of toppings for three pizzas will cost $11.98. This means each pizza will only cost about $3.99 for its toppings.
Studies show that a restaurant-quality pizza would cost you $15-20. Comparatively a pizza produced in-house averages to a minimal $5.82.
This is less than a third of the price!
Another way to economize the cost of homemade pizza recipes is by growing your own ingredients. If you have access to a small garden plot or even a sunny windowsill you can grow your own basil tomatoes and many other pizza toppings.
Not only will it bring the cost down but it also ensures the freshness and quality of ingredients.
Reducing the overhead cost of running a pizzeria or restaurant is achievable by investing in high-quality but cost-efficient appliances such as a dough mixer point-of-sale system pizza oven pizza stone and pizza peel. Not only do these tools provide complete creative control over your pizza but they also improve efficiency and save money in the long run.
Finally investing in a Baking Steel can also drop the average cost to make pizza by enhancing the quality of your homemade pies gaining more customer satisfaction and potentially increasing profit. It may require an initial investment but in the long run will give substantial returns.
Above all the grandeur of constructing classic Chicago-style Italian fare right from the ease of your home always adds a unique flair to your pizza. With care and dedication you can always provide finger-licking gooey cheese pizza or a simple cheese pizza that competes with the best pizza from any fast-food pizza chains.
