Food Cost Percentage Calculator

Work out your food cost % for a period, then price each plate to hit your target

Updated 2026-10-01

Food cost for a period

Beginning food inventory

Food purchases in the period

Ending food inventory (count)

Food sales in the period

Price a dish

Plate cost (all ingredients)

Target food cost

Menu price you are considering

Food cost %: 31.25%
Food used (cost of food sold): $22,500.00
Gross profit on food: $49,500.00
Menu price at target: $14.00
Left after food at that price: $9.80
Food cost % at your price: 31.11%

Food used = beginning inventory + purchases − ending inventory. Menu price = plate cost ÷ target %. Count only food; track drinks with the same formula separately.

Your numbers stay on this device. The page link keeps your inputs, so a bookmark or shared link reopens these results.

Enter your opening food inventory, what you bought in the period, your closing count and your food sales to get the food cost percentage for the week or month. Then enter a dish's plate cost and your target percentage to see the menu price that hits it. Nothing is stored or sent; the numbers stay in the page address so you can bookmark them.

The food cost percentage formula

Food cost % = (beginning inventory + purchases − ending inventory) ÷ food sales × 100.

The top line is the cost of the food you actually used in the period. Purchases alone are not enough: a big delivery on the last day of the month raises purchases but sits in the walk-in, which is why the closing count matters. Use the same count method and the same day of the week each time, and count only food (track beverages, paper goods and cleaning supplies separately).

Worked example: one month

A café starts the month with $8,000 of food on hand, buys $22,000 from suppliers and counts $7,500 at month end. Food used is $8,000 + $22,000 − $7,500 = $22,500. Food sales were $72,000, so food cost is $22,500 ÷ $72,000 = 31.25%, and gross profit on food is $49,500.

Period food cost, step by step
Line	Amount
Beginning inventory	$8,000
+ Purchases	$22,000
− Ending inventory	$7,500
= Food used	$22,500
Food sales	$72,000
Food cost %	31.25%

Pricing a dish from its plate cost

Plate cost is the cost of every ingredient on the plate at the portion you serve, including garnish, sauce and the side. To price for a target food cost percentage, divide the plate cost by the target as a decimal: a $4.20 plate at a 30% target is $4.20 ÷ 0.30 = $14.00, leaving $9.80 to cover labour, rent and profit.

Round to a price that suits your menu, then check the real percentage: at $13.50 the same plate runs 31.1%, at $14.50 it runs 29.0%.

A $4.20 plate at different targets
Target food cost	Menu price	Left after food
25%	$16.80	$12.60
28%	$15.00	$10.80
30%	$14.00	$9.80
35%	$12.00	$7.80

What moves the number

There is no single right percentage: a steakhouse with expensive cuts and a pizza shop with cheap dough run very different food costs and can both be profitable. What matters is your own trend. If the period percentage climbs while menu prices and the menu mix are unchanged, look for the usual causes:

Supplier price rises that never reached the menu: compare this month's invoices with last month's.
Portions drifting above the recipe: weigh a few plates during service.
Waste and spoilage: log what is thrown out, with a reason.
Receiving errors: check each delivery against the invoice before the driver leaves.
Counting errors: a missed shelf at month end inflates the next period's cost.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate food cost percentage?

Add beginning inventory and purchases, subtract ending inventory to get the food used, then divide by food sales and multiply by 100. $22,500 of food used against $72,000 of food sales is 31.25%.

What is a good food cost percentage for a restaurant?

It depends on the concept, so track your own trend rather than chase one number. Many operators aim for somewhere around the high 20s to mid 30s; what matters is that the figure is stable and your prices cover labour, rent and profit on top of it.

How do I price a menu item from food cost?

Divide the plate cost by your target food cost as a decimal. A $4.20 plate at a 30% target sells for $14.00. Then round to a menu-friendly price and recheck the percentage.

Should I use purchases instead of inventory counts?

Only as a rough weekly check. Purchases ignore stock you bought but have not used, so they swing with delivery timing. The count-based formula gives the true cost of what you sold.

Do drinks count in food cost?

Track them separately. Beverage and alcohol costs run at very different percentages from food, so mixing them hides problems in both. Use the same formula with beverage inventory, purchases and sales.

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