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Menu price & food cost calculator
Enter what a dish costs you to make and your target food-cost percentage, and see the price to charge and the margin you keep.
Most restaurants aim for 28 to 35%.
Frequently asked questions
How do I price a menu item?
Divide the item's cost to make by your target food-cost percentage (as a decimal). At a 30% target, a dish that costs $4.50 to make should sell for about $15.00. This calculator does the math and shows your margin.
What is a good food cost percentage for a restaurant?
Most restaurants aim for a food cost of about 28% to 35% of the menu price. Lower means more margin per dish, but price too high for your market and you sell fewer. Use it as a target range, not a hard rule.
Does the menu price include labor and overhead?
No. Food-cost pricing covers ingredients. You still need enough gross margin across the menu to cover labor, rent and overhead, which is why controlling delivery-app commissions matters so much to what you actually keep.
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