Food Cost Percentage Calculator

Food cost percentage is the share of a dish's menu price that its ingredients cost you. It is the first number every kitchen should know per dish, because a menu can look busy and still lose money one plate at a time.

The formula, in the open

• Food cost % = plate cost ÷ menu price × 100.
• Gross profit per plate = menu price − plate cost.
• Price for a target % = plate cost ÷ target % — what the dish must sell at to hit the food-cost share YOU choose. We don't suggest a target; that depends on your concept and your market.

A worked example

A dish whose ingredients cost ₹92, sold at ₹280: 92 ÷ 280 is a 32.9% food cost and ₹188 gross profit per plate. If your own target is 30%, the price that achieves it is 92 ÷ 0.30 ≈ ₹307.

What this doesn't model

Portioning drift, waste and staff meals all push the real percentage above the theoretical one — measure them separately. Labour is deliberately not in this number; that's what the prime cost calculator is for.

Try it

Enter one dish below. The defaults are the worked example — replace them with yours.