Food Cost Percentage Calculator
Stop guessing menu prices. Calculate the exact food cost of a dish to ensure your restaurant stays profitable.
Recipe Cost Builder
Menu Profitability
Target Menu Pricing
To hit industry standard food costs based on your $3.50 ingredients:
The Razor-Thin Margins of Restaurants
Running a restaurant is notoriously difficult because the profit margins are incredibly small (usually 3% to 5%). If you do not track your Food Cost Percentage on every single menu item, you will lose money on every plate you serve.
What is Food Cost Percentage?
Food Cost Percentage is the ratio of how much it costs to make a dish compared to how much you sell it for.
Formula: (Total Cost of Ingredients / Menu Selling Price) * 100
The Industry Standard Rule
To survive, your average food cost percentage across your entire menu must be between 28% and 32%.
- Below 25%: Excellent. You are making high margins (common in pasta and pizza).
- 28% - 32%: Healthy and sustainable.
- Above 35%: Danger. You are spending too much on ingredients and not leaving enough margin to pay rent, labor, and utilities. (Common in high-end steak or seafood, which must be subsidized by cheaper dishes).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Menu Food Cost %?
The Menu Food Cost % is a free online tool designed to help you calculate exact food cost percentage per dish to ensure menu profitability.
How much does the Menu Food Cost % cost?
Our Menu Food Cost % is 100% free to use. We do not require any signups, subscriptions, or credit cards.
Is my data safe when using this tool?
Yes. All calculations are performed locally in your web browser. We do not store or save your financial data or inputs on our servers.