Plate Cost Calculator: Food Cost and Menu Price
Enter each ingredient, what you pay for the pack, and how much goes on one plate. You get the plate cost and the menu price that hits your target food cost.
Use the same unit for pack size and amount on the plate. A 10 lb case is 160 oz.
| Ingredient | Of plate | Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Ground beef6 oz of 160 for $48.00 | 65% | $1.80 |
| Buns1 each of 12 for $4.80 | 15% | $0.40 |
| American cheese1 slice of 24 for $3.60 | 5% | $0.15 |
| Fries6 oz of 480 for $32.00 | 15% | $0.40 |
How I use this on a Friday
I don't look at plate cost just to see if the math works. I'm looking at whether we're actually making the money we think we're making. A recipe can look profitable on paper and still lose margin every day. Portions get heavy. Vendor prices change. Prep waste gets ignored. Somebody adds an extra ounce of cheese or another piece of protein, and nobody thinks much about it because it doesn't look like a big deal. Multiply that by hundreds of plates and it becomes a big deal. That's why I want to know the cost of every ingredient and what the plate should cost before I decide what to charge. The calculator gives me the food cost. My job as the GM is making sure what's leaving the kitchen matches what's on the screen.
K. Pinckney, restaurant GM and founder of WRI
The math
Each ingredient costs the pack price divided by the pack size, times the amount on the plate. Add them up for the plate cost. Menu price is the plate cost divided by your target food cost percent.
Example: A burger and fries at a 30% target. Beef is $48 for 160 oz, 6 oz on the plate = $1.80. Bun is $4.80 for 12 = $0.40. Cheese is $3.60 for 24 slices = $0.15. Fries are $32 for 480 oz, 6 oz = $0.40. Plate cost is $2.75. Menu price is 2.75 / 0.30 = $9.17.
Questions operators ask
What units should I use?
Any unit works as long as the pack size and the amount on the plate use the same one. A 10 lb case is 160 oz, so if you portion in ounces, enter 160 for the pack size.
What food cost percent should I target?
Commonly cited ranges run from about 25% to 35% for most full service menus. Proteins like steak often run higher and drinks or fries run lower. Pick a target that fits your concept and your prime cost.
Should I count trim and waste?
Yes. If you lose a third of a brisket to trim and cook loss, the usable ounces cost more than the case price says. Enter the usable amount as the pack size, or bump the amount on the plate to cover the loss.
Do I include sides, sauces and garnish?
Include anything that goes out with the plate: the side, the ramekin of sauce, the pickle, the to-go box if it ships that way. Small items add up across hundreds of plates.
Why is the suggested price not what I should charge?
It is the price that hits your food cost target, nothing more. Round it to a price that makes sense on your menu, and check it against what guests will pay and what the place down the street charges.
Is my data saved?
No. Everything runs in your browser. The link in the address bar holds your numbers so you can bookmark or share a recipe, and nothing is stored on our side unless you ask us to email it to you.