Food Cost Calculator
Menu food cost percentage and pricing.
Enter your values
ⓘ Live results
Results
- Food cost percentage
- 26.25%
- Gross profit per plate
- $11.80
- Price for target cost %
- $14.00
- Margin
- 73.75%
- Markup multiple
- 3.81×
Quick answer
Food cost percentage is ingredient cost divided by menu price; most restaurants target 28–35%.
Food cost % = Plate cost ÷ Menu price × 100
How to use the Food Cost Calculator
- 1Cost every ingredient in one portion.
- 2Enter your current menu price.
- 3Set your target food cost percentage.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Plate ingredient cost4.20 $
- Menu price16.00 $
- Target food cost30 %
Results
- Food cost percentage26.25%
- Gross profit per plate$11.80
- Price for target cost %$14.00
- Margin73.75%
- Markup multiple3.81×
Frequently asked questions
What food cost should I target?
28–35% for full service, lower for pizza and pasta, higher for steak.
Should labour be included?
No — that is prime cost, which combines food and labour and should stay under 60%.
About this calculator
- Built and reviewed by James Whitfield · How we build and test calculators
- Report an error
Results are estimates for general information. For medical, legal, structural or financial decisions, confirm with a qualified professional.