Excerpts from the report: Of all consumer expenditures for food, approximately 25 percent are for prepared foods purchased in away-from-home eating establishments; this is an increase of nearly one-third from 20 years ago. Therefore, the study of costs and margins for food served in eating establishments is within the general scope of studies of costs and margins for farm products. This is a report of one such study: the costs and margins for serving beverages in the employee food services operated in an office building (in-plant food service). The term "food cost" used in this report has the same meaning as the more general accounting terms, "cost of goods sold," "raw materials cost," or "cost of ingredients." The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) To determine the costs and margins for serving beverages in the employee food facilities operated in an office building; (2) to examine certain merchandising and pricing principles in the light of costs and margins as well as other factors that determine pricing policies.