For restaurants, cafes and caterers
Plate cost and food-cost % calculator
Enter what you paid for each ingredient, how much of it is usable, and how much goes on one plate. You get the plate cost, the food-cost % at your menu price, and a price that hits your target.
Your dish
Up to 8 ingredients. Any currency, as long as you use the same one everywhere. The example dish is pre-filled; overwrite it.
- Plate cost
- –
- Food cost % at your menu price
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- Suggested price at target
- –
How it is worked out
- Usable amount bought = amount you bought × yield % ÷ 100. Yield is the share left after trimming, peeling, bones or cooking loss (100 % if nothing is lost).
- Cost per usable unit = price paid ÷ usable amount bought.
- Ingredient cost on the plate = amount used per portion × cost per usable unit (units are converted first: 1 lb = 16 oz = 453.6 g, 1 L = 1000 ml, 1 US gal = 3785 ml, 1 fl oz = 29.57 ml).
- Plate cost = the sum of all ingredient costs.
- Food cost % = plate cost ÷ menu price × 100.
- Suggested price = plate cost ÷ (target food cost % ÷ 100). With a 30 % target that is plate cost ÷ 0.30.
The 30 % target is only a starting value; use the target that fits your own costs and menu.
Worked example: grilled chicken rice bowl
| Ingredient | Bought | Yield | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken thigh, boneless | 18.90 / 10 lb | 85 % | 6 oz | 0.83 |
| Basmati rice | 24.00 / 20 lb | 100 % | 3.5 oz | 0.26 |
| Broccoli | 2.40 / 1 lb | 70 % | 4 oz | 0.86 |
| Olive oil | 32.00 / 3 L | 100 % | 15 ml | 0.16 |
| Greek yogurt (sauce) | 5.80 / 32 oz | 100 % | 2 oz | 0.36 |
| Lemon | 0.45 / each | 100 % | 0.25 each | 0.11 |
| Plate cost | 2.59 | |||
| Food cost % at 8.00 (above the 30 % target) | 32.4 % | |||
| Suggested price at 30 % (2.59 ÷ 0.30) | 8.63 | |||
Broccoli shows why yield matters: at 70 % usable, a 2.40 pound really costs 3.43 per usable pound.
Good to know
Does this tool store anything?
No. It is one HTML page with a small script that runs in your browser: no cookies, no form submission, no storage, no third-party files. Reloading the page brings back the example.
Why are my units "not matching"?
Weight (kg, g, lb, oz) converts to weight, volume (L, ml, gal, fl oz) to volume, and "each" only to "each". If you buy by weight and use by volume, convert one of them yourself first.
Want this for your whole menu? See Recipescosting