Food Cost Calculator: Plate Cost, Food Cost % and Menu Price
Type each ingredient as you buy it (price, pack size, unit) and how much the dish uses, with waste if you trim it. Add portions, your target food cost and the price on the menu. You get the plate cost, food cost percentage, gross margin and the price that hits your target. Works in oz, lb, cups and tablespoons as well as grams and liters. Saved dishes stay in your browser, no account.
Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Estimate from your recipe and invoice prices. This is a sample cheeseburger until you type your own dish.
Kitchen ticketNo. 0001
Cheeseburger
- Cost per portion
- $2.59
- Food cost
- 26% under 30% target
- Gross profit per plate
- $7.36
- Price to hit 30%
- $8.63 $8.95 on the menu
| Ingredient | Used | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef 80/20 | 6 oz | $1.58 | 60.8% |
| Brioche bun | 1 each | $0.40 | 15.5% |
| Cheddar, sliced | 1 oz | $0.26 | 10.1% |
| Burger sauce | 1 fl oz | $0.14 | 5.4% |
| Tomato 10% waste | 1 oz | $0.13 | 5.1% |
| Iceberg lettuce 25% waste | 1 oz | $0.08 | 3.1% |
| Plate, 1 portion | $2.59 | 100% |
What to change
Beef, bun and cheese are 86% of the plate. At 26% you are under your 30% target with $0.40 of room per plate, so the price can stay at $9.95 or go to $8.95 for a cheaper menu line.
Add labor and overhead above to see prime cost per portion.
Plate cost from the recipe, not actual food cost from inventory. Saved dishes stay in this browser.
Saved dishes
Stored in this browser only. Clearing site data removes them. Download CSV to keep a copy.
No saved dishes yet. Save dish on the ticket keeps the one you are working on.
How it works
- List the ingredientsOne row per ingredient: the price on the invoice, the pack size and its unit, and the amount the dish uses. If you trim or lose some of it, add the waste percent and the calculator prices the usable part.
- Set portions and targetTell it how many portions the recipe makes, your target food cost percent (most kitchens aim for 28 to 35) and, if you already sell the dish, the current menu price. Labor and overhead per portion are optional.
- Read the plateThe result shows cost per portion, actual food cost percent, gross profit per plate and the menu price that hits your target. Below it, which ingredients take the biggest share and what to change. Save the dish, export CSV or print.
Plate cost with yield and waste
A dish costs what the usable part of each ingredient costs. If a case of onions costs $18 for 25 lb and you lose 12 percent to peel and ends, a pound you can actually cook costs $0.72 divided by 0.88, about $0.82. The calculator does that for every row, converts pack units to recipe units inside the same family (pounds to ounces, liters to milliliters, cups to tablespoons) and divides the total by the number of portions. Cups and ounces are different kinds of units, so for flour or sugar bought by weight and measured by volume you enter how much one cup weighs for that ingredient.
Food cost percentage and menu price
Food cost percentage is plate cost divided by menu price. Turn it around and you get a price: plate cost divided by your target percent. A $3.10 plate at a 30 percent target needs a $10.33 menu price, so $10.50 or $10.95 on the menu. The calculator shows both the exact number and a rounded one, plus gross profit per plate. Labor and overhead are not food cost, but if you enter them the result also shows prime cost per portion so you can see what is left after wages.
Actual food cost from inventory
For a week or a month: opening stock plus purchases minus closing stock, divided by food sales. Compare it with the plate cost above; a gap points to waste, over portioning or prices that moved.
Questions
What is a good food cost percentage?
Most guides for US restaurants put the usual range between 28 and 35 percent, with fine dining sometimes higher and quick service lower. Your own target depends on rent, wages and how much you sell, so treat the range as a starting point and check it against your numbers.
Where do my recipes and prices go?
Nowhere. The math runs in your browser and saved dishes are stored on this device only. Nothing is uploaded, there is no account, and clearing the browser data removes them, so export a CSV if you want a copy.
Is this the same as my actual food cost from inventory?
No. This page costs one dish from its recipe, which is theoretical or plate food cost. Actual food cost comes from inventory: opening stock plus purchases minus closing stock, divided by sales for the period. The two should be close; a gap points to waste, over portioning or prices that moved.
More detail in the guide: Food Cost Percentage Formula: How to Calculate It, With Examples.