Free tool
Food Cost Calculator
Professional recipe and plate costing for executive chefs and directors of operations. Enter ingredients with yield, set a target food cost %, and see the menu price that protects your margin.
Suggested price at 30.0% target
$20.31
+$2.31 vs current menu price
The calculator shows the gap. PriceSmartPro closes it.
Every penny on the unit-cost column comes from your distributors. PriceSmartPro pulls your Sysco, US Foods, PFG, and Gordon order guides into one buy guide, cherry-picks the cheapest match on every product, and pushes the optimized PO back through punchout. Independent groups using it typically cut 4–9% off food spend in the first 90 days — without switching primary distributors.
Food cost FAQ
What is a good food cost percentage for a restaurant?
Full-service restaurants typically target 28–35%. Quick-service runs 25–30%. Fine dining can sit at 35–40% on signature dishes when balanced by higher-margin items like beverages, apps, and desserts.
What is yield % and why does it matter?
Yield % is the edible portion of an as-purchased item after trim, peel, and cook loss. An 8 oz portion of chicken breast at 92% yield actually costs you 8 ÷ 0.92 ≈ 8.7 oz of raw product. Ignoring yield is the #1 reason recipe costs come in light on paper and heavy on the P&L.
How do you calculate plate cost?
Sum each ingredient's EP cost (quantity × unit cost ÷ yield %), then add a Q-factor of 2–3% for unmeasured overhead like salt, pepper, oil, and garnish. Divide plate cost by menu price to get food cost %.
How do I price a menu item from food cost?
Divide plate cost by your target food cost %. A $4.20 plate cost at a 30% target prices at $14.00. The calculator above does this automatically.
Why does my food cost drift up even when prices look steady?
Distributor case prices move weekly. A 3-cent bump on chicken across four broadliners adds up fast across 12 locations. PriceSmartPro tracks every line and flags cherry-pick opportunities the moment a competitor undercuts your primary.