Guides on opening a chip shop put a figure on the fryer, the premises and the sign. Almost none put a figure on the consumables — the trays, the finger wipes, the bags, the gloves. Yet that is the one item you will buy again every week, for years. Here is what it really costs, per portion.
What a portion really costs in packaging
The useful question is not « what does a box of trays cost » but « what does each portion served cost me ». At that level, the gaps between suppliers become visible. The prices below come from our catalogue, excluding VAT, per full box.
| Consumable | Pack size | Price per box | Cost per portion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardboard chip tray | 250 units | €4.76 | €0.019 |
| Finger wipe | 1,000 units | €28.50 | €0.029 |
| Kraft carrier bag (takeaway) | 250 units | €26.98 | €0.108 |
| Nitrile glove (kitchen use) | 1,000 units | €43.90 | €0.044 |
| Bin bag 100 L | 100 units | €22.87 | €0.229 per bag |
A portion of chips served on the premises therefore costs less than 5 cents in packaging, finger wipe included. Add a carrier bag for takeaway and you reach around 15 cents. That is little — provided you buy at the right level: at retail prices, those same items easily double.
The three items not to get wrong at launch
A launch rarely fails on the price of a box. It fails on the size chosen, on overstocking, or on a forgotten item.
White cardboard chip tray 90 × 55 × 40 mm
The snack size, for the small portion and the side order. Cardboard holds the heat and absorbs grease where plastic slides and sweats. It is the most handled consumable in a chip shop: start with the right size.
- Pack: 250 units
- €4.76 excl. VAT per box, that is €0.019 per unit
- Food-grade board, recyclable with paper and card
Individually wrapped finger wipes
The detail that marks out a well-run chip shop. At three cents a unit, it is the cheapest courtesy in the trade — and one of the few a customer notices and mentions.
- Pack: 1,000 units
- €28.50 excl. VAT per box, that is €0.029 per unit
- Individual sachet, stored with no temperature constraint
Reinforced 100 L bin bags F&G
The item nobody budgets for and everybody uses. A chip shop fills several bags per service; a bag too thin that gives way at the end of the evening costs far more than the price difference per box.
- Pack: 100 units
- €22.87 excl. VAT per box, that is €0.229 per bag
- 55 micron LDPE — the thickness that holds greasy waste
Three habits that protect your margin
📏 The right size first
A tray too large means extra chips in every portion. The extra cost is invisible per unit and considerable over a year.
📦 No overstocking at launch
Board dislikes damp and takes up space. Better to reorder often than to tie up a whole store room from day one.
🧾 Compare per unit
A price per box means nothing while pack sizes differ. Bring everything back to the unit price before choosing.
The most common start-up mistakes
Across the openings we support, the same four mistakes come back.
- Ordering a single tray size. A chip shop serves at least two portion sizes. One size forces you to overfill, or to present badly.
- Forgetting the hygiene consumables. Hand towels, soap, bin bags: never in the opening budget, always in the first month's spending.
- Buying retail « just to get started ». Retail prices over the first months weigh on already tight cash, exactly when it matters most.
- Underestimating the carrier bag. It is the most expensive item per takeaway portion. That is where the difference between two suppliers is decided.
On choosing between cone, tray and bag, we compared the three formats in chip shop packaging: cone, tray or bag. On finger wipes, why offer them in your chip shop sets out the customer response. And for wholesale prices by family, our guide to trade prices in Belgium puts a figure on each item.
Frequently asked questions
What consumables budget should you plan to open a chip shop?
It depends on the volume you target, but the order of magnitude is simple to work out: count around 5 cents of packaging per portion served on the premises, 15 cents per takeaway portion, then multiply by your expected covers. A few boxes per reference is plenty to open with.
Should you buy wholesale from day one?
Yes for the references you will use daily — trays, bags, finger wipes: the gap with retail is immediate. No for sizes you are not yet sure about: wait until you have served a few weeks before committing to volumes.
What quantity should you order at launch?
Products are ordered by the box, not by the pallet: 250 trays, 1,000 finger wipes, 100 bin bags. A launch can be covered without tying up cash or filling an entire store room.
Is cardboard compulsory for chips?
European single-use plastic rules progressively restrict plastic containers for takeaway. Food-grade board is today the sector standard for chips, and it is sorted with paper and card.
Do you deliver outside Belgium?
Yes: Belgium, Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands and Germany. For a Luxembourg business, the invoice is issued without VAT given a valid VAT number — see our article on sourcing from Luxembourg.
The consumables budget for your opening
Trays, finger wipes, bags and hygiene at wholesale prices, delivered to Belgium, Luxembourg and France.
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