Yield Calculator
Enter what you bought, what you can actually serve after trimming and cooking, and the price per pound on the invoice. You get your yield percent and the real cost of every usable pound.
What you bought, as purchased. Case weight or the weight on the invoice.
What you can actually serve after trimming, cooking, and portioning. Weigh it.
Price per lb on the invoice. Only have a case price? Divide it by the case weight.
- Yield
- 60%
- More per lb than the invoice
- $3.33
- Total paid
- $50.00
How I use this on a Friday
Yield isn't something I deal with much in my current restaurant because our menu is limited. Earlier in my career, when I worked for the military, food cost also wasn't managed the same way it is in a traditional restaurant. But I know plenty of operators have to watch it closely, which is why I wanted this calculator available. The price you pay for a case isn't necessarily the cost of what you can actually serve. Trimming, cooking, bones, fat, moisture loss, and waste can all reduce the amount of usable product you're left with. That's where yield matters. If you're only looking at the purchase price, you may think an item costs less than it really does. This isn't a calculation I personally use every day. It's a tool I built for the manager who does.
K. Pinckney, restaurant GM and founder of WRI
The math
Yield percent is usable (EP) weight divided by purchased (AP) weight, times 100. True cost per usable pound is the invoice price per pound divided by the yield. The difference between the two is what trim, cooking loss, and waste add to every pound you serve.
Example: You buy a 10 lb brisket at $5.00 per lb, so you pay $50.00. After trimming and cooking you have 6 lbs you can serve. Yield is 6 / 10 = 60%. True cost per usable lb is 5.00 / 0.60 = $8.33. That is $3.33 more per lb than the invoice says.
Questions operators ask
What do AP and EP mean?
AP is as purchased: the weight you pay for on the invoice. EP is edible portion: what is left that you can actually serve after trimming, cooking, and waste.
How do I find my yield?
Weigh the product when it comes in. Prep and cook it the way you normally do, then weigh what is usable. Do it a few times and use the average, since one test can be off.
Why does the cheaper case sometimes cost more?
Because you pay for weight you throw away. A lower price per lb with more fat, bone, or trim can end up costing more per usable lb than a pricier case that yields better. Compare true cost per usable lb, not invoice price.
Should I use AP or EP cost for plate costing?
EP. The portion on the plate is usable product, so cost it at the true cost per usable lb. Costing a plate at the invoice price makes it look cheaper than it is.
What is a normal yield?
It depends on the item and how you prep it. Commonly cited ranges run from roughly 50% to 70% for many cooked, trimmed meats, and higher for most produce. Your own tests beat any chart.