Plate Cost Calculator
Enter each ingredient's unit cost and quantity to get the plate cost, then a menu price for your target food-cost percentage. How it works
Use the Plate Cost Calculator
About the Plate Cost Calculator
Menu price = plate cost ÷ (target food cost % ÷ 100). A plate whose ingredients cost $6.00 sells for $20.00 at a 30% food cost, $21.43 at 28% and $17.14 at 35%. List each ingredient with its unit cost and the quantity on the plate; the calculator adds the lines into the plate cost and divides by your target. Enter the menu price you charge and it shows the food cost percentage instead: $15.00 of ingredients on a $60.00 dish is 25.0%.
Menu price by plate cost and target food cost
| Plate cost | 25% | 28% | 30% | 32% | 35% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | $8.00 | $7.14 | $6.67 | $6.25 | $5.71 |
| $3.00 | $12.00 | $10.71 | $10.00 | $9.38 | $8.57 |
| $4.00 | $16.00 | $14.29 | $13.33 | $12.50 | $11.43 |
| $5.00 | $20.00 | $17.86 | $16.67 | $15.63 | $14.29 |
| $6.00 | $24.00 | $21.43 | $20.00 | $18.75 | $17.14 |
| $8.00 | $32.00 | $28.57 | $26.67 | $25.00 | $22.86 |
| $10.00 | $40.00 | $35.71 | $33.33 | $31.25 | $28.57 |
Plate cost ÷ (target ÷ 100), shown to the cent as the calculator shows it. Ingredient cost only: no labor, rent, packaging or tax.
How to use this tool
- Add a row for each ingredient on the plate and type its unit cost and the quantity used, in the same unit: cost per lb with a quantity in lb, cost each with a count. For a pack, press Price by pack instead and enter the pack price, pack size and amount used.
- Set the target food cost %. It starts at 30%.
- Read the suggested menu price, the line cost of each row and the Biggest cost line. Type a menu price to see the food cost % and the gross profit per plate.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you calculate the cost of a plate?
- Multiply each ingredient's unit cost by the amount on the plate, then add the lines. 0.375 lb of salmon at $12.99/lb is $4.87; with asparagus, butter and lemon the plate comes to $6.20. Use trimmed, edible-portion costs for meat and fish, or the plate looks cheaper than it is.
- How do I price a menu item from food cost percentage?
- Divide the plate cost by the target percentage as a decimal. A $5.00 plate at 30% is $5.00 ÷ 0.30 = $16.67; at 25% it is $20.00. A lower target gives a higher price.
- How do I calculate the food cost percentage of a dish?
- Divide the plate cost by the menu price and multiply by 100. Type the price in Menu price and the tool does it: the $6.20 salmon plate at $22.00 is 28.2%, at $20.95 it is 29.6%, and $15.00 of ingredients on a $60.00 dish is 25.0%. It also shows the gross profit per plate, menu price minus plate cost: $15.80 for the salmon at $22.00. Both use the unrounded plate cost.
- What markup does a food cost percentage mean?
- The markup is 100 ÷ target: a $1.00 plate cost becomes $3.33 at 30%, $3.57 at 28% and $2.86 at 35%. So 30% food cost is about a 3.33 times markup on ingredients.
- How do I cost an ingredient bought by the pack?
- Press Price by pack instead on its row and enter the pack price, the pack size and the amount used, in the same unit. A $12.00 pack of 1,000 g with 250 g on the plate costs $3.00. The row shows its line cost, and with two or more costed rows the Biggest cost line names the most expensive one: the salmon, $4.87 or 79% of the $6.20 plate.
- Does the suggested price cover labor and overheads?
- No. It covers ingredients only and leaves out labor, rent, packaging and tax, and it is not rounded to a menu figure such as $20.95. The calculator starts at a 30% target and takes any target above 0%; pick the figure that leaves room for your labor and overheads.
Related Tools
View all toolsFood Yield Calculator
Food yield percentage from as-purchased (AP) and edible-portion (EP) weights, the cost per usable pound, and how much to buy for the weight you need.
Sous Vide Calculator
Sous vide bath temperature and minimum time by thickness and doneness for beef, pork, chicken, salmon and eggs, from Baldwin's tables.
Steak Doneness Calculator
Steak pull temperatures and where they settle after resting, in °F and °C from rare to well done, beside the USDA 145°F minimum.
Spice Substitution Finder
14 spice and herb substitutes from university extension tables, such as fresh to dried herbs, allspice, pie spice and garlic, scaled to your amount.
Equilibrium Brine Calculator
Salt and sugar for an equilibrium brine from meat and water weights in g, kg, lb or oz and a target salinity, counting the meat as 72% water.
Knife Sharpening Guide
Sharpening angle per side and total edge angle for chef's, santoku, gyuto, paring, bread and cleaver knives, with a whetstone grit chart.