Hot-Selling Fried Fish Ball Combos: How to Mix Items, Portion, Price & Maximize Profit
From 15K to 49K — Build a best-selling combo menu while keeping a 30–40% margin.
Alternative titles (pick one)
- From 15K to 49K: Tricks to mix fish ball combos, price & calculate gross profit for small shops
- Best-selling fish ball combos: portioning formulas, selling prices & standard margins
- Fish ball combo menu: 4 hot price tiers + gross profit calculator
- A–Z fish ball combos: mixing, portioning, pricing & profit maximization
- Set up rush-hour fish ball combos: formulas & price board
Quick summary
- Portion baseline: 150–180 g/serving (about 9–10 pieces) for budget tiers; 200–350 g for 35–49K combos.
- Target margin: keep 30–40% for main combos; use one entry combo at ~20–25% to attract new buyers.
- Pricing rule: Suggested price = Cost / (1 − target margin) → round up to the nearest thousand.
- Upsell: add mozzarella sticks, mini sausages, drinks (+5–10K) to lift bill size and margin.
Mixing rules for tasty & easy-to-sell combos
- Three flavor layers: (a) easy crowd-pleasers (fish balls), (b) value boosters (beef/shrimp balls), (c) addictive highlight (mozzarella sticks/mini sausages).
- Crunch – chew – creamy: chewy balls (fish/beef/shrimp) + creamy topping (mozzarella) + neutral piece (crab sticks/sausages) for balance.
- Clear price tiers: 15K – 25K – 35K – 49K (or 59K); each tier adds ~30–40% weight or a “premium” item.
- Back-of-house simplicity: repeat ingredients across combos, pre-fry ~70%, and flash-fry ~30% upon order.
Tip: 15K entry combo for trial; 35K “Satisfying” combo for optimal profit; 49–59K sharing combo for two + drink upsell.
Portioning & sample costs (for illustration)
Note: Replace everything below with your actual purchase prices to recalculate.
| Item | Weight/piece | Price (VND/kg) | Cost/piece (VND) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fish balls | 15 g | 65,000 | 975 | popular base |
| Beef balls | 20 g | 100,000 | 2,000 | value booster |
| Shrimp balls | 15 g | 95,000 | 1,425 | sweet & aromatic |
| Crab sticks | 12 g | 85,000 | 1,020 | neutral, easy to mix |
| Mini sausages | 18 g | 75,000 | 1,350 | kid favorite |
| Mozzarella stick | ~25 g | — | 3,800 / stick | priced per stick |
Estimated overheads: frying oil + box + sauces + chopsticks/napkin = 2,500 VND/serving (use 3,500 VND for the 49K set).
4 sample combos (pre-calculated costs & profit)
Feel free to swap items while keeping the “3 layers” logic. Numbers use the sample costs above.
15K Combo (Students) ~126 g / 9 pcs
- Contents: 6 fish balls + 3 crab sticks
- Ingredients cost: 8,910 VND • Overheads: 2,500 VND • Total cost:11,410 VND
- Price: 15,000 VND• Gross profit: 3,590 VND• Gross margin: 23.9%
25K Combo (Popular) ~165 g / 10 pcs
- Contents: 4 fish balls + 3 beef balls + 3 shrimp balls
- Ingredients cost: 14,175 VND • Overheads: 2,500 VND • Total cost:16,675 VND
- Price: 25,000 VND• Gross profit: 8,325 VND• Gross margin: 33.3%
35K Combo (Satisfying) Best Seller~201 g / 11 items
- Contents: 4 beef balls + 4 shrimp balls + 2 mini sausages + 1 mozzarella stick
- Ingredients cost: 20,200 VND • Overheads: 2,500 VND • Total cost:22,700 VND
- Price: 35,000 VND• Gross profit: 12,300 VND• Gross margin: 35.1%
49K Combo (For two / small group) ~350 g / 20 items
- Contents: 6 beef balls + 6 shrimp balls + 6 fish balls + 2 mozzarella sticks
- Ingredients cost: 34,000 VND • Overheads: 3,500 VND • Total cost:37,500 VND
- Price: 49,000 VND• Gross profit: 11,500 VND• Gross margin: 23.5%
- Hint: consider 55–59K depending on area; upsell +2 mozzarella sticks (+10K) or drinks (+8–12K).
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Pricing & profit formulas
- Cost per serving = Σ (qty × cost/piece) + overheads
- Suggested price = Cost ÷ (1 − target margin)
- Gross profit = Price − Cost
- Gross margin (%) = Gross profit ÷ Price
Excel sample:
A2 = Total cost
B2 = Target margin (e.g. 0.35)
C2 (Price) = ROUNDUP(A2/(1-B2),-3)
D2 (G.Prof.) = C2 - A2
E2 (G.Margin)= D2 / C2Rounding rule: prefer .000 or .500 (e.g. 15,000 / 15,500 / 16,000) for readability.
Pricing & upsell strategy for maximum profit
- Clear price ladders: 15–25–35–49(59)K; show real combo photos and piece counts.
- Entry 15K combo: lower margin to attract trials; highlight it on the left of your menu.
- Main 35K combo: best margin; mark as Recommended/Best Seller.
- Value adds: +5K add 2 fish balls or +10K add 1 mozzarella stick.
- Drinks & sauces: kumquat tea/brine lemonade; special cheese/super-spicy sauces +5–7K.
- Rush hour: combos with ≤4 ingredients keep the kitchen fast.
Counter checklist (quick rollout)
- 6–8 trays: fish balls, beef balls, shrimp balls, crab sticks, mini sausages, mozzarella sticks, plus one flex tray for rotations.
- Portion tools: 10 g / 20 g scoops; 0.1 g digital scale; separate tongs per tray.
- Signage: combo name + piece count + real photo; add a Best Seller badge.
- Sauces: chili sauce, mayonnaise, green chili salt, cheese sauce.
- Process: pre-fry 70%, hold at 60–65°C; flash-fry 30% at order for surface crisp.
Quick FAQ
Q: Sell by gram or by piece?
A:By piece is easier to remember and handle; still weigh a few servings daily to keep portions consistent.
Q: What’s a good target margin?
A: Street/online: 30–40%. With strong location + premium drinks/sauces, you can reach ~45%.
Q: Customers bargaining 15K → 20K — what to do?
A: Offer +5K for 2 extra fish balls or +10K for 1 mozzarella stick. Clear added value = easier upsell.
Important: All costs above are illustrative. Replace with your actual buying prices and adjust portions for your area’s taste and spending.