NZ Coffee Cart Pricing Guide (2026): Fast Costing for Owner-Operators

Coffee carts live on speed. Pricing decisions should be fast too, but still accurate.

This guide is built for owner-operators who need a weekly routine, not spreadsheet theater.

Quick Summary

• Run costing ex-GST, publish price with GST.
• Use current wage floors in labor assumptions.
• Reprice top drinks weekly.
• Watch add-ons and modifiers closely.

2026 NZ Snapshot

Stats NZ (December 2025 quarter, released 22 January 2026) reports:

• CPI annual inflation: 2.2%
• Food prices annual change: +1.5%

Employment New Zealand shows minimum wage rates effective 1 April 2025:

• Adult: NZD 23.50/hour
• Starting-out: NZD 18.80/hour
• Training: NZD 18.80/hour

GST remains 15%.

Core Formula

requiredExGstPrice = (ingredientCost + labourCost + cupCost + variableCosts)
                     / (1 - targetMargin)

displayPrice = requiredExGstPrice x 1.15

Worked Example (Flat White)

Assumptions:

• Ingredient cost: NZD 1.62
• Labor cost per cup: NZD 1.12
• Cup and variable costs: NZD 0.44
• Target margin: 30%

requiredExGstPrice = (1.62 + 1.12 + 0.44) / 0.70
                   = 3.18 / 0.70
                   = NZD 4.54

displayPrice = 4.54 x 1.15 = NZD 5.22

Practical selling point: NZD 5.20 to NZD 5.30.

Weekly Cart Pricing Checklist

1. Update milk, beans, and cup costs.
2. Refresh labor assumptions for opening and peak blocks.
3. Recalculate ex-GST floor for top 8 drinks.
4. Convert to GST-inclusive display prices.
5. Reprice low-contribution add-ons first.
6. Check contribution after 7 days.

Stop Rules

• Top 3 drinks show contribution decline for 2 straight weeks.
• Milk or beans increase over 8% without menu response.
• Add-on margin drops below your minimum floor.

Common Mistakes

1. Pricing from old supplier costs.
2. Ignoring labor in rush-hour blocks.
3. Mixing GST cash into operating margin logic.
4. Keeping underpriced add-ons unchanged for months.

Related Guides

• NZ Cafe Menu Pricing Guide (2026)
• Recipe Cost Calculator Guide
• Prime Cost Guide
• Menu Price Review Checklist

KitchenCost helps owner-operators update ingredient and recipe costs quickly before weekly price decisions.

Try KitchenCost.

Sources (checked on 2026-02-14)

• Stats NZ - Consumers price index: December 2025 quarter
• Employment New Zealand - Minimum wage rates
• Inland Revenue (NZ) - GST
• Reddit: r/newzealand - eating out affordability thread