How this food cost calculator works
For each ingredient, enter what you paid and how much that bought you (a 5 lb bag of flour for $4.50), then how much the recipe actually uses (12 oz). The calculator converts units within the same family — ounces to pounds, cups to quarts, grams to kilograms — and works out the exact cost of the amount used:
ingredient cost = price paid ÷ quantity bought × quantity used
Every ingredient cost is summed into the total recipe cost, divided by servings to get your plate cost, and compared to the menu price to get your food cost percentage:
food cost % = cost per serving ÷ menu price × 100
Worked example: chicken sandwich
Say a chicken sandwich uses a 6 oz breast from a $42.00 case of 40 lb ($0.39), a brioche bun from a $6.00 pack of 12 ($0.50), 1 oz of aioli from a $9.00 quart batch (about $0.28), and 2 oz of lettuce and pickles (about $0.45). The plate cost lands around $1.62… plus fries and packaging, call it $3.80. At a $13.50 menu price, that’s a 28% food cost — right in the healthy range.
Food cost benchmarks by restaurant type
| Concept | Typical food cost % |
|---|---|
| Quick service / fast casual | 25–30% |
| Casual full service | 28–35% |
| Pizza | 20–28% |
| Steakhouse / seafood | 35–40% |
| Bars (food program) | 25–30% |
Remember: percentage isn’t profit. A 40% food-cost ribeye that contributes $18 of gross margin can beat a 25% pasta that contributes $9. Use the percentage as a health check, and pair it with the prime cost calculator to see the whole picture.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good food cost percentage?
Most full-service restaurants aim for a food cost percentage between 28% and 35%. Quick-service concepts often run lower (25–30%), while steakhouses and seafood restaurants can run higher (35–40%) because their raw ingredients cost more. What matters most is that the percentage is stable and priced into your menu — a 38% dish can still be profitable if it sells at high volume.
How do I calculate food cost per serving?
Add up the cost of every ingredient that goes on the plate, using the amount actually used — not the amount purchased. Divide each ingredient’s purchase price by the quantity you bought, multiply by the quantity in the recipe, sum it all, then divide by the number of servings the recipe yields.
Should I include waste and trim in food cost?
Yes. If you buy whole produce or proteins, the usable yield is less than what you paid for. The simplest fix is to enter the trimmed (usable) quantity as your purchase amount, or inflate the used amount to reflect trim loss. Many kitchens apply a yield percentage — e.g. a whole chicken with 70% usable yield effectively costs its price divided by 0.7 per usable pound.
What’s the difference between plate cost and food cost percentage?
Plate cost (or portion cost) is the dollar amount of ingredients on one plate. Food cost percentage is that plate cost divided by the menu price. A $4.20 plate cost at a $14 menu price is a 30% food cost.
Is my recipe data uploaded anywhere?
No. This calculator runs entirely in your browser. Your ingredients and prices are saved to your own device’s local storage so they’re still here next visit, and nothing is ever sent to a server.