Food Cost CalculatorPlate Cost, Food Cost % & Menu Price
Add your ingredients with purchase prices and the amounts used to get the exact plate cost, a suggested menu price at your target food-cost percentage, the gross profit per plate, and a price table for comparing targets.
Built by Manzoor Ahmad, Pharmacist & Calculator Developer · Updated
Uses standard restaurant cost-control formulas (food cost % = plate cost ÷ menu price), as taught in hospitality cost-control texts. Allergen rules from the FDA.
How do you calculate food cost and menu price?
Plate cost is the sum of each ingredient’s cost (purchase price ÷ purchase quantity × amount used). Menu price = plate cost ÷ target food cost %. Most restaurants target 28–35%. A bowl that costs $4.43 at a 30% target should sell for about $14.77, rounded to $14.99, leaving about $10.56 of gross profit per plate.
Cost your dish
Use the same unit for buy qty and used (e.g. both in oz, g or each).
Price at different food-cost targets
| Food cost % | Menu price | Profit / plate |
|---|
Cost breakdown
Typical food cost percentages by business type
| Business | Typical food cost % | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fine dining | 28–35% | Premium proteins, but high menu prices |
| Casual dining | 28–32% | The classic 30% benchmark |
| Quick service / fast casual | 25–30% | Volume plus standardised portions |
| Pizzeria | 20–28% | Low-cost dough, cheese is the big line |
| Bakery / café | 25–35% | Drinks pull the average down |
| Catering | 25–35% | Add labour and delivery separately |
| Bar (beverages) | 18–24% | Spirits lowest, wine highest |
The food cost formulas
Grilled chicken bowl
- Chicken 6 oz ($1.87) + rice ($0.24) + broccoli ($0.62) + sauce ($0.50) + ½ avocado ($0.63) + packaging ($0.35) = $4.21
- With 5% waste, the plate cost is $4.43.
- At 30% food cost: $4.43 ÷ 0.30 = $14.77, so price it at $14.99.
- Gross profit per bowl: $10.56, before labour, rent and other overheads.
What running a pharmacy taught me about margins
As well as being a pharmacist, I run my own pharmacy. Thin-margin retail teaches the same lesson as restaurants: food cost % alone doesn’t pay the bills, gross profit in money does. A $30 steak at 38% food cost may earn more profit per plate than a $12 pasta at 22%. Track both. Re-cost your menu whenever a key supplier price moves by more than 5%. And remember that waste, staff meals and comped plates quietly add 2–5 points to your real food cost.
On allergens: if you sell food, the US FDA requires the major allergens (milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soy and sesame) to be declared on packaged items. Many places require them on menus too.
Related calculators
Food Cost calculator FAQs
Food cost % = plate (ingredient) cost ÷ menu price × 100. A dish that costs $4 to make and sells for $13.33 has a 30% food cost.
Divide the plate cost by your target food cost percentage. At a $4.43 plate cost and a 30% target, $4.43 ÷ 0.30 = $14.77. Round to a psychologically attractive price such as $14.99, then check it against competitors.
Most restaurants aim for 28–35%. Quick-service businesses and pizzerias often run at 20–30%, while fine dining with premium proteins may reach 35%. Beverages usually run lower (18–24%).
Food cost % compares cost with price, while markup compares profit with cost. A 30% food cost equals a 233% markup. They describe the same price from different directions.
For takeaway and delivery, yes. Containers, lids, cutlery and bags are part of the cost of each plate and often add $0.25–$1.00.
Add a yield or waste percentage. Trimming, cooking loss and spoilage usually add 3–10%. Dividing plate cost by (1 − waste %) builds it into your pricing.
Manzoor Ahmad
Pharmacist · Supplement & Nutrition Writer (9+ yrs) · Calculator Developer (13+ yrs)
I’m a pharmacist, I own and run a retail pharmacy, and I build DexoCalc’s calculators. Pricing on thin margins is something I deal with every week. This food cost tool goes beyond ‘divide by 30%’: it builds in waste, uses charm pricing and shows the profit per plate in money, which is what actually covers the rent.
References
- National Restaurant Association. Research & industry data.
- FDA. Food Allergies: What You Need to Know.
- Dopson LR, Hayes DK. Food and Beverage Cost Control, 7th ed. Wiley; 2019.
Note: This tool estimates ingredient-based pricing only. Labour, rent, utilities, card fees and taxes must also be covered by your prices. It is not financial or legal advice.