By-the-Glass Profit Calculator

When this matters for a wine program

Use this before adding a bottle to a by-the-glass list, changing pour size, or deciding whether a premium bottle can work by the glass. The calculator turns bottle cost, pour count, wastage, and selling price into a practical gross-profit view.

Include expected spoilage or staff tasting loss if the wine moves slowly.
Compare contribution per bottle as well as margin percentage.
Use realistic pour counts based on your actual glass size and fill line.

What the margin means

By-the-glass economics depend on both pour size and spoilage. A wine that looks profitable at five pours per bottle can become weak if the final glass is regularly discarded or discounted.

Use the result to compare list price, cost per bottle, and practical service assumptions. For premium wines, a smaller pour may protect margin while still giving guests a fair tasting experience.

Reading by-the-glass economics

A glass program lives or dies on pour size, spoilage, and turnover. A bottle may look profitable at five pours, but that margin disappears quickly if the final glass is regularly discarded, staff over-pour, or the wine sells too slowly after opening.

Use the calculator to compare the list price with the real service pattern. A premium bottle may need a smaller pour, a Coravin-style service setup, or a higher glass price to make sense. A house wine can often accept a lower margin if it moves quickly and creates predictable weekly contribution.

Model one conservative spoilage assumption, not only the best case.
Check whether the listed pour size matches what is actually served.
Compare weekly contribution, not just percentage margin.

Margin depends on waste and pace

A by-the-glass price can look profitable on paper and still disappoint if the bottle turns slowly, pours are inconsistent, or staff have to discard oxidised wine. Use the calculator alongside realistic spoilage, comping, and service assumptions.

For hospitality teams, the result is strongest when matched to actual service data. Check how many glasses are normally poured from a bottle, how often the last pour is discounted or discarded, and whether preservation equipment changes the waste assumption. Small differences in pour control can move margin more than a small change in bottle cost.

Best use

Testing a proposed glass price against cost, pour size, and expected waste.

Do not skip

Open-bottle shelf life, staff pour control, VAT or sales tax, and menu positioning.

How It Works

This calculator models gross profit contribution of by-the-glass wine sales.

Enter bottle cost, bottle size, pour size, and menu price per glass.
Set wastage percentage to account for spoilage or over-pouring.
Review sellable glasses, gross profit per bottle, margin, and weekly contribution.

FAQ

Why is wastage important?

Even small spoilage or over-pour rates materially reduce realized margin.

What is break-even price per glass?

It is the minimum per-glass price that covers bottle cost at estimated sellable pours.

Is this net profit?

No. This is gross profit before labor, rent, and other operating costs.