Menu Pricing Calculator
Find the menu price that hits your target food cost percentage, and see the food cost and gross profit per plate at the price you plan to charge.
- Free
- No sign-up to try
- Works as you type
Menu pricing
Price for your target food cost
$14.00
Gross profit per plate at that price
$9.80
Food cost at your planned price
30.0%
Gross profit per plate at your price
$9.80
- Price for target = ingredient cost ÷ target food cost percentage.
- Food cost at your price = ingredient cost ÷ planned price × 100.
- Gross profit per plate = price − ingredient cost.
Free, no sign-up to try. Save it as a live calculator you can share; an estimate from the numbers you enter, not financial advice. Check the result against your own records before you rely on it.
How it works
How the Menu Pricing Calculator works
- 1
Enter your numbers
Every result updates as you type, with the formula shown under it.
- 2
Check the method
See how each number is worked out and what it assumes.
- 3
Save it as a Room
Share a live calculator: others can change the numbers and see the result update.
Worked example
What it makes
Example inputs
- Ingredient cost per plate
- $4.2
- Target food cost
- 30 %
- Price you plan to charge
- $14
Results
- Price for your target food cost
- $14.00
- Gross profit per plate at that price
- $9.80
- Food cost at your planned price
- 30.0%
- Gross profit per plate at your price
- $9.80
How it's calculated
- Price for target = ingredient cost ÷ target food cost percentage.
- Food cost at your price = ingredient cost ÷ planned price × 100.
- Gross profit per plate = price − ingredient cost.
- Assumes: Prices are before sales tax.
- Assumes: Labor, overheads and waste are not in the plate cost; the target percentage is what covers them.
An estimate from the numbers you enter, not financial advice. Check the result against your own records before you rely on it.
Who it's for
Who uses it
Restaurant owners
Price a new dish from its plate cost.
Chefs
Check a special still hits the food cost target.
Food truck and café owners
Re-price after a supplier increase.
Good to know
What to consider
- Plate cost should include every ingredient, garnish and side, at what you pay now.
- Food cost percentage is one guide: what diners will pay and what nearby menus charge matter too.
Questions
About the Menu Pricing Calculator
What food cost percentage should I target?
Many restaurants aim for roughly 25 to 35%, but it depends on your concept, labor costs and prices. Use your own numbers from past periods as the starting point.
Can I share the calculator with my team or a client?
Yes. The Room keeps the calculator live: anyone with the link can change the numbers and see the result update, with the method and assumptions on the same page.
Make your calculator now
Free, no sign-up to try. It becomes a Room you can edit, publish and share.
Create my calculatorRelated
Related tools
- Restaurant Food Cost CalculatorWork out your food cost percentage for a period from opening and closing inventory, purchases and food sales, and for any single dish on the menu.
- Recipe Scaling CalculatorScale a recipe up or down to the number of servings you need: the scale factor and new amounts for your ingredients, in the units you use.
- Restaurant Menu GeneratorUpload your menu or type it in. Get a visual menu guests open from a QR code: dishes with photos, dietary tags and ordering, with an AI agent that answers questions about allergens.