NodusTechRestaurant Food Cost & Menu Margin Calculator
Enter a dish's plate cost and menu price to see food cost %, gross profit per dish, and the price needed to hit a target food cost.
How to read your result
Food cost % is your plate cost as a share of the menu price — the lower it is, the more of each sale is left to cover labour, rent and profit. Gross profit per dish is the cash amount left after ingredients.
The suggested priceshows what you'd need to charge for this exact dish to hit your target food cost % — useful for checking a menu price before you print it, or for pricing a new dish from its ingredient cost.
Worked example
A pasta dish costs €3.60 in ingredients and sells for €14.00. Food cost % = €3.60 ÷ €14.00 = 25.7%. Gross profit per dish = €14.00 − €3.60 = €10.40. If the target food cost is 30%, the calculator suggests a price of €3.60 ÷ 0.30 = €12.00 — showing this dish is actually priced comfortably below what a 30% food cost target would require.
Formula
Food cost % = Plate cost ÷ Selling price × 100
Suggested price at target = Plate cost ÷ (Target food cost % ÷ 100)
Good to know
Food cost % alone doesn't tell you whether a dish is actually profitable — a low food cost % on a slow-selling dish can matter less than a slightly higher food cost % on your best seller. Look at food cost % alongside how often each dish actually sells before deciding what to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is food cost %?+
The share of a dish's menu price that its ingredients cost you — plate cost divided by selling price. The remainder covers labour, overhead, delivery-platform fees and profit.
What food cost % should I be aiming for?+
Many restaurants aim for roughly 28–35%, but the right number depends heavily on cuisine, service style and your labour and overhead costs — a lower food cost target usually means your other costs are higher, and vice versa.
Does plate cost include labour to prepare the dish?+
No — plate cost here is ingredient cost only, as served. Labour, energy and overhead are separate costs this calculator doesn't include, so gross profit per dish isn't the same as net profit per dish.
How do I use the "price to hit target food cost" figure?+
It's the selling price that would give your dish exactly your target food cost % at its current ingredient cost — useful for checking a new menu price, or seeing how much room you have to discount a dish before food cost gets uncomfortable.
Need this across your whole menu, with delivery fees and menu engineering?
Restaurant Profit & Menu Advisor — €19.99
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This calculator is provided for general information only and is not accounting, tax, food-safety or nutrition advice.