Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Current food cost %
30.0%
Gross profit per plate
$10.50
Price needed to hit target %
$15.00
Price adjustment needed
0.0%
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter plate cost (raw ingredients) ($).
- 2Enter current menu price ($).
- 3Enter target food cost % (%).
- 4Read your current food cost % on the right — it updates as you type.
- 5Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Food cost percentage is the single most-watched number in restaurant P&Ls. It is the raw ingredient cost of a dish divided by the price you charge for it. Full-service restaurants generally target 28-35%, quick-service targets 25-30%, and pizza or bar-food concepts can run under 25% because of cheap bases like dough and fryer items. Steakhouses and sushi routinely run 35-40% because the protein cost is unavoidable, and they make it up on beverage margin. This calculator takes your plate cost and either your current menu price or your target percentage, then tells you the other side of the equation. It also shows gross profit per plate in dollars, which matters more than the percentage alone: a 30% food cost on a $12 sandwich nets $8.40, while a 30% food cost on a $40 steak nets $28. Use this before you print a new menu, after a supplier price increase, or whenever a dish feels 'off' compared to its neighbors on the menu.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Plate cost (raw ingredients): 4.5 $
- Current menu price: 15 $
- Target food cost %: 30 %
Results
- Current food cost %: 30.0%
- Gross profit per plate: $10.50
- Price needed to hit target %: $15.00
- Price adjustment needed: 0.0%
What each field means
Inputs
- Plate cost (raw ingredients) ($)
- The plate cost (raw ingredients) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 4.5 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Current menu price ($)
- The current menu price used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 15 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Target food cost % (%)
- The target food cost % used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 30 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 5–60 %.
Results
- Current food cost %
- Returned as a percentage and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Gross profit per plate
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Price needed to hit target %
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Price adjustment needed
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What food cost % is healthy?
Full-service restaurants aim for 28-35%, fast casual 25-32%, and bars run food much lower (20-28%) because liquor carries the margin. There is no universal correct number — it depends on your labor cost, rent, and how much of the menu is protein-driven. Track the trend over time more than any single month.
Should every dish hit the same target?
No. Signature or high-draw items like a burger or wings can run a few points hotter than target because they drive traffic, while high-margin sides, apps, and desserts should run cooler to balance the average. Blend to your overall target, not item by item.
How often should I recalculate this?
Recost every menu item at least quarterly, and immediately after any ingredient price jump over 10%. Produce and protein prices move fast enough that a recipe costed in January can be off by several points by summer.
Does this include labor?
No — this is pure ingredient (food) cost against sale price. Labor is tracked separately as labor cost % and the two combine into prime cost, which is the number that actually predicts profitability.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Scale a recipe up or down to a new batch size with per-ingredient math.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Food Cost Percentage Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/food-cost-percentage
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/food-cost-percentage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Food Cost Percentage Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Food Cost Percentage Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/food-cost-percentage) (2026).