Restaurant Food Cost Calculator
Turn ingredient cost and menu price into food cost percent.
What it does
Food cost percent ties plate cost to menu price. Eight dollars of ingredients on a twenty five dollar plate is thirty two percent. Operators watch it to price menus and spot waste.
The tool above takes ingredient cost and menu price and returns percent, gross profit, and markup multiple. The defaults 8 and 25 match the worked example, so the page opens showing 32.0 percent.
Percent is cost over price times 100. Profit subtracts cost from price before labor and overhead. Markup divides price by cost: 25 over 8 is 3.13x. Lower percent leaves more room for labor, rent, and profit.
Targets vary by concept. Fast casual may chase high twenties, fine dining may run low thirties plus on premium inputs, coffee and soda run far lower. Track by category, not just house average, to find leaks.
This page shows the formula, one full hand checked example at 8 on 25, a reference table, and practice checks that run through the tool.
How to use
- Cost recipe ingredients to one plate.
- Type that ingredient cost.
- Type menu price without tax or tip.
- Read Food cost percent as the main result.
- Read Gross profit before labor and overhead.
- Test prices by moving menu price up or down.
Formula
- cost
- Ingredients per plate in dollars.
- price
- Menu price in dollars.
- markup
- Price multiple of cost.
Price must top 0. Zero cost gives 0 percent with markup noted as needing a cost. Waste and comps sit outside until added to cost.
Worked example
Example: 8 cost, 25 price
Plate costs 8 dollars, sells for 25. Find percent.
- Divide: 8 / 25 = 0.32.
- Percent: 0.32 x 100 = 32.0 %.
- Profit: 25 minus 8 = $17.00.
- Markup: 25 / 8 = 3.125.
- Round: 3.13x.
- Check: 32 percent of 25 is 8.
Reference table
| Cost / price | Percent | Profit |
|---|---|---|
| 8 / 25 | 32.0 % | $17.00 |
| 12 / 30 | 40.0 % | $18.00 |
| 6 / 24 | 25.0 % | $18.00 |
Limits
- Ingredients only. Labor, rent, and fees sit outside.
- One plate math. Mix shifts need weighted averages.
- No waste model until added to cost.
- Menu price before tax and tip here.
Common mistakes
- Leaving waste and comps out of cost.
- Pricing from markup alone without percent targets.
- Mixing pre tax with post tax prices.
- Averaging percents instead of weighting by sales.
- Chasing low percent with tiny portions that hurt return visits.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
Cost 12, price 30?
40.0 %, profit $18.00, markup 2.5x.
Cost 6, price 24?
25.0 %, profit $18.00.
Questions
8 on 25?
32.0 %.
Profit?
Price minus cost before labor. Here $17.00.
Markup?
Price over cost. Here 3.13x.
Good percent?
Varies by concept. Many target high twenties to low thirties.
Waste?
Add it to cost before percent.
Tax?
Use pre tax menu price here.