Menu Price and Plate Cost Calculator
Pricing a dish starts with what goes on the plate. Enter the cost of each part of one serving, an allowance for trim and waste, and the food cost percentage you aim for. This shows your plate cost, the price that hits your target, your food cost at the price you charge today, and what the same dish would need to cost on a delivery app.
Food cost here is the cost of the ingredients on the plate as a share of the menu price. It doesn’t include labor, packaging or overhead, and your real food cost from inventory will run higher than plate costs if portions drift or waste is above your allowance. Estimates only. This calculator is for educational purposes and is not financial, tax or legal advice.
How to cost a plate
Take one serving of the dish and price every part of it from your supplier invoices. For a 6-ounce burger patty from a 10-pound case at $40, that’s $40 ÷ 160 ounces × 6 = $1.50. Do the same for the bun, the toppings, the sauce and the side. Then add an allowance for what never reaches the plate: trim, spoilage and the extra that goes on when the line is busy.
From plate cost to menu price
Divide the plate cost by your target food cost percentage. A $4.62 plate at a 30% target needs a $15.40 price: $4.62 ÷ 0.30. At $14, the same plate is a 33% food cost.
Not every dish has to hit the target. Many menus mix high-margin items, like drinks and pasta, with lower-margin ones, like steak, that bring people in. What matters is the overall food cost, so cost every dish and know which ones carry the menu.
The example
The numbers in the calculator are a burger with fries: $4.40 of ingredients plus 5% for waste is a $4.62 plate. At $14 it runs 33.0% food cost and earns $9.38 of gross profit. The price for a 30% food cost is $15.40, or $15.50 rounded. On a delivery app with a 25% commission, $18.67 pays you the same $14 the dish brings in-store.
For context, the National Restaurant Association reports median food and beverage costs of about 32% of sales for full-service and limited-service restaurants in 2024 (National Restaurant Association). That’s a median across whole restaurants, not a target for one dish.
Sources: National Restaurant Association, food cost ratios in 2024. The example dish and its ingredient costs are made up for illustration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I calculate the menu price of a dish?
Add up the cost of every ingredient in one serving, add an allowance for waste, then divide by your target food cost percentage. A $4.62 plate at a 30% target is $4.62 divided by 0.30, or $15.40.
What is plate cost?
The cost of the ingredients in one serving of a dish, including an allowance for trim and waste. It is the starting point for pricing a menu item.
What food cost percentage should a restaurant aim for?
It varies by concept and by dish. The National Restaurant Association reports a median food and beverage cost of about 32% of sales in 2024 for both full-service and limited-service restaurants. Set a target that fits your menu, and know which dishes run above and below it.
How should I price menu items on delivery apps?
To be paid the same as in-store, divide your menu price by one minus the app’s commission. A $14 dish with a 25% commission needs an $18.67 app price. The delivery app commission calculator includes packaging and card fees too.