← Musunda · Step 4 of 7 · 4 minutes · prices checked October 4, 2026
Short version: the ingredients fit under a dollar with room to spare. The hands are the question.
The pennies in one Musushi
| Part | Cost | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Rice, 30 grams cooked | about 3¢ | A 50 lb bag of Calrose at $51.99 (WebstaurantStore). We assumed rice weighs 2.2 times more once cooked, which gives about 1,660 pieces a bag. |
| Seaweed band | about 3¢ | A half sheet at 17¢ (WebstaurantStore), cut into six bands. |
| Topping | not measured yet | This is what the Saturday test is for. |
A Sando uses two patties, about 50 grams of rice, so about 5¢ of rice.
Our target: 33¢ of ingredients in a piece that sells for $1. Rice and band take 6¢. That leaves about 27¢ for the topping.
The number that decides everything
How many pieces can one person make in an hour? Here is what labor adds to each piece, if an hour of work costs the business $20. That $20 is our assumption, not a quote.
| Pieces per person, per hour | Labor in each piece |
|---|---|
| 40 | 50¢ |
| 80 | 25¢ |
| 120 | 17¢ |
| 200 | 10¢ |
At 40 an hour, a dollar piece does not work. At 100 an hour, it does: $1.00 minus 33¢ of ingredients minus 20¢ of labor leaves 47¢ a piece for rent, permits, boxes and profit.
What is real and what is a guess. The rice and seaweed prices come from a supplier’s page on the date above. The topping cost, the rice yield, the $20 hour and the 33¢ target are our assumptions. Your own scale and your own stopwatch replace them. This page is arithmetic, not financial advice.
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