Korean Street Food Cost Breakdown - The Real Numbers Behind Tteokbokki, Kimbap & Fried Snacks
“Korean food is so hot right now. Easy money, right?”
With K-drama popularity driving American interest in Korean cuisine, and kimbap making headlines in The Washington Post as 2025’s rising food trend, many entrepreneurs are eyeing Korean street food businesses. Food trucks, ghost kitchens, and fast-casual Korean spots are popping up everywhere.
But how much do you actually make on popular Korean dishes? Let’s break down the numbers.
The 30% Rule Still Applies
The restaurant industry standard food cost target is 28-35% of sales price. Korean street food isn’t exempt from this rule—despite perceptions that it’s “cheap to make.”
Quick-service restaurants typically target 20-25%, while fast-casual aims for 25-30%. Korean food, with its reliance on specialty ingredients and labor-intensive prep, often runs higher.
Tteokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes) - The Margin Math
Ingredient Cost Per Serving
| Item | Amount | Unit Cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice cakes | 5 oz | $0.10/oz | $0.50 |
| Fish cakes | 2 oz | $0.15/oz | $0.30 |
| Gochujang (red pepper paste) | 1 oz | $0.20/oz | $0.20 |
| Sugar, corn syrup | 0.5 oz | $0.05/oz | $0.03 |
| Scallions, cabbage | 1 oz | $0.10/oz | $0.10 |
| Seasonings, broth | - | - | $0.10 |
| Total | ~$1.25 |
At a $9.99 menu price:
Food cost percentage = ($1.25 ÷ $9.99) × 100 = 12.5%That looks amazing! But wait—there’s more.
Delivery Orders: Where Profits Disappear
Selling one tteokbokki order via DoorDash or Uber Eats:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Menu price | $9.99 |
| Ingredient cost | $1.25 |
| Packaging (container + lid + utensils + bag) | $1.50 |
| Delivery commission (25-30%) | $2.75 |
| Payment processing (~3%) | $0.30 |
| Your take | $4.19 |
Still profitable for a single item—but that’s before rent, labor, utilities, and other overhead.
The real problem? At $9.99, many customers won’t pay delivery fees. They’ll order somewhere else.
The Average Check Solution
This is why smart Korean food operators push combo meals:
Example: Tteokbokki + Fried Items + Dumpling Combo - $18.99
| Item | Food Cost |
|---|---|
| Tteokbokki (large) | $2.00 |
| Assorted tempura (5 pcs) | $1.50 |
| Mandu dumplings (4 pcs) | $1.20 |
| Packaging | $2.00 |
| Total food + packaging | $6.70 |
Dine-in: $18.99 - $6.70 = $12.29 gross profit
Delivery: $18.99 - $6.70 - $5.22 (27.5% commission) - $0.57 = $6.50 gross profitAt nearly $19 per order instead of $10, delivery becomes viable.
Fried Items (Twigim) - Your Secret Weapon
Cost Per Piece
| Item | Food Cost | Menu Price | Food Cost % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetable tempura | $0.25 | $1.50 | 17% |
| Seaweed roll (kimmari) | $0.30 | $1.75 | 17% |
| Sweet potato | $0.40 | $2.00 | 20% |
| Squid | $0.65 | $2.50 | 26% |
| Shrimp | $0.90 | $3.00 | 30% |
Vegetable-based fried items have excellent margins. They’re also fast to prepare and travel well for delivery.
Don’t Forget Oil Costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 5 gal frying oil | ~$25 |
| Daily usage | 1-2 gal |
| Per-piece oil cost | ~$0.10-0.15 |
Add $0.10-0.15 to each fried item’s actual food cost.
Kimbap (Korean Rice Rolls) - The Labor Trap
Ingredient Cost Per Roll
| Ingredient | Cost |
|---|---|
| Rice (6 oz cooked) | $0.25 |
| Seaweed sheet | $0.15 |
| Pickled radish | $0.05 |
| Ham/spam | $0.15 |
| Egg (1/3) | $0.08 |
| Spinach | $0.10 |
| Carrot | $0.05 |
| Burdock root | $0.08 |
| Sesame oil, seeds | $0.08 |
| Total | ~$1.00 |
At $7.99 menu price:
Food cost percentage = ($1.00 ÷ $7.99) × 100 = 12.5%Looks great on paper. Here’s the problem.
The Real Cost: Labor
Time to roll one kimbap: 2-3 minutes by hand
At $16.50/hour (typical restaurant wage):
- 20-25 rolls per hour
- Labor cost per roll: $0.70-0.80
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | $1.00 |
| Labor (allocated) | $0.75 |
| Packaging | $0.25 |
| True cost | $2.00 |
True food + labor cost = ($2.00 ÷ $7.99) × 100 = 25%Still acceptable—but now you see why kimbap shops struggle if they don’t have high volume or automated rolling equipment.
Menu Profitability Comparison
| Item | Food Cost % | Labor Intensity | Delivery Friendly | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tteokbokki | 12-18% | Low | Combo only | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Sundae (blood sausage) | 18-22% | Low | Combo only | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Fried items | 17-26% | Medium | Good add-on | ⭐⭐ |
| Kimbap | 12-16%* | High | Single item OK | ⭐ |
| Ramyun | 25-30% | Low | Poor (soggy) | ⭐⭐ |
| Rice bowls | 28-35% | Medium | Good | ⭐⭐ |
*Before labor allocation
Key insight: Build your menu around tteokbokki and fried items. Use kimbap as an upsell to increase average check.
Running the Numbers: Food Truck Example
Assumptions
- Monthly revenue: $25,000
- 40% delivery, 60% on-location
- Average ticket: $15
Cost Structure
| Category | % of Revenue | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Food cost | 28% | $7,000 |
| Packaging | 5% | $1,250 |
| Delivery commissions | 10% | $2,500 |
| Truck payment/permit | 8% | $2,000 |
| Labor (1 employee) | 16% | $4,000 |
| Fuel, propane, supplies | 6% | $1,500 |
| Total costs | 73% | $18,250 |
| Gross profit | 27% | $6,750 |
$6,750 monthly profit—before your own salary, health insurance, or equipment repairs.
Before You Start: Key Questions
Break-Even Calculation
Target monthly profit: $5,000
Required revenue = $5,000 ÷ 0.25 = $20,000
Daily revenue = $20,000 ÷ 22 days = $909
At $15 average = 61 orders per dayCan you consistently serve 61+ orders daily? That’s your real question.
Reality Checks
- Location competition: Is there already a Korean spot nearby? Multiple bubble tea shops?
- Ingredient sourcing: Can you get quality rice cakes and gochujang reliably? At what cost?
- Labor market: Will you do all the prep yourself? Kimbap rolling at 3am?
- Delivery dependency: Third-party apps take 25-30%. Can your prices absorb that?
Related Guides
Key Takeaways
- Tteokbokki has 12-18% food cost but delivery margins only work with higher average checks
- Average ticket over $15 is crucial for delivery profitability
- Kimbap’s true cost (including labor) is 25%+ — not the 12% it looks like
- Fried items and sundae are high-margin add-ons that boost profitability
“Korean food is cheap to make” is a dangerous assumption. Calculate your actual costs before launching.
Know your exact cost per serving of tteokbokki, kimbap, and every item on your menu. Try KitchenCost to calculate Korean street food costs — free to start.