Free calculator · for restaurants & caterers

Price every dish for the food cost you want.

Food cost percentage is the number that makes or breaks a menu. Enter your ingredient cost and price to see it, and the price you'd need for your target — then cost the whole menu.

Done-for-you template

Menu Food Cost Calculator

Food-cost percentage and target price for every dish.

  • Food-cost percentage for every menu item
  • The price each dish needs to hit your target
  • Cost recipes from ingredient prices and yields
  • Spot the dishes that quietly lose money
  • Assumptions-driven · Excel & Google Sheets · delivered instantly
$19one-time · instant download
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Questions

What is a good food cost percentage?

Many restaurants target a food cost of roughly 28% to 35% of the menu price, though it varies by concept — fine dining, quick service, and bars differ. Food cost percentage is your ingredient cost divided by the menu price. Keeping it in your target range while the rest of your costs (labor, rent) are covered is what makes the business profitable. This calculator shows each dish's percentage and the price to hit your target.

How do I lower my food cost percentage?

Either reduce the ingredient cost (better sourcing, portion control, reducing waste, menu engineering toward high-margin dishes) or raise the price where the market allows. Small changes across a busy menu add up. The key is knowing each dish's food-cost percentage so you focus on the items that most affect your bottom line — which is exactly what costing the menu reveals.

What is in the paid calculator?

A ready-to-use spreadsheet (Excel & Google Sheets): food-cost percentage and target price per dish, recipe costing from ingredients, and a menu overview — delivered instantly after checkout. AI-assisted, human-built; not financial advice.

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