US Sushi Roll Cost Guide: Price Rolls, Add-Ons, and Combo Trays for Profit

Sushi rolls look simple. Then the sauces, toppings, and portion creep start.

If your rice grams and protein ounces are not locked, every roll is a guess. This guide shows how to price rolls and trays with consistent margins in the U.S.

Quick Summary

• Build rolls by rice grams + protein ounces + nori + toppings
• Sauce and garnish costs are real margin killers
• Create price bands for standard, premium, and signature rolls
• Tray pricing = roll cost + packaging + assembly premium

Why Sushi Roll Costing Drifts

1. Rice portions vary by hand
2. Protein ounces are inconsistent
3. Sauce and garnish creep (mayo, eel sauce, sesame)
4. Premium add-ons leak into standard rolls

Sushi looks clean, but the cost math is not.

Core Roll Cost Formula

Roll cost = Rice + Nori + Protein + Vegetables + Sauces + Garnish + Packaging
Food cost % = Roll cost / Menu price

Build a Roll Matrix

Create three categories so pricing stays simple:

• Standard rolls: crab stick, tuna mix, cucumber, avocado
• Premium rolls: salmon, yellowtail, seared tuna
• Signature rolls: premium protein + toppings + sauce drizzle

When you add a new roll, it drops into a price band instead of a debate.

Example: California vs Spicy Tuna

California roll (example structure)

• Rice
• Nori
• Imitation crab
• Cucumber
• Avocado
• Sesame

Spicy tuna roll (example structure)

• Rice
• Nori
• Tuna mix
• Spicy mayo
• Scallion

The difference is not the name. It is protein ounces + sauce cost.

Tray Pricing That Works

Tray margins collapse when you price per piece without packaging.

Tray formula

• Roll cost (per roll × count)
• Packaging cost (tray + lid + liners)
• Assembly premium (fixed amount for labor)

Checklist

• Rice grams per roll are fixed
• Protein ounces per roll are fixed
• Sauce portions are measured
• Premium proteins are restricted to premium rolls
• Tray pricing includes packaging and labor

Do This Now

• Weigh your rice portions on a scale and lock them in (grams per roll)
• Measure protein ounces for each roll type (2-3 oz is typical)
• Build a price matrix with standard, premium, and signature bands
• Cost sauces and garnishes separately (mayo, eel sauce, sesame add up)
• Build tray pricing from roll costs + packaging + assembly labor premium

Related guides

• Food cost ratio guide
• Menu price review checklist
• Restaurant labor cost percentage guide
• Recipe costing guide