What is a good food cost percentage?

The ideal food cost percentage varies by restaurant type. Fine dining aims for 28-35%, casual dining 28-32%, and fast food 25-30%. Quick-service restaurants typically target the lower end.

Should I include waste in my cost calculations?

Yes, you should account for trim waste, cooking loss, and plate waste. A common approach is to add 5-10% to your raw ingredient costs to cover waste.

How often should I update recipe costs?

Update your recipe costs monthly or whenever supplier prices change significantly. Seasonal ingredients may require more frequent updates to maintain accurate pricing.

Free Tool

Restaurant Hub

Recipe Cost Calculator

Calculate per-serving costs

Calculate the total cost of any recipe

Start 14-day free trial See how it works → Restaurant Hub

Loading tool...

Save hours every week

Cost one recipe — or auto-decrement ingredients on every order with recipe-level stock + AI sales forecasting in Gastro POS Hub.

Start 14-day free trial

The Recipe Cost Calculator helps restaurants and food businesses determine the exact cost of preparing any dish. Enter your ingredients with quantities and unit prices to get a detailed cost breakdown, cost per serving, and recommended selling price for optimal profit margins.

Book a Demo

Quick — under 90 seconds

How to Use

1 Add each ingredient to your recipe 2. Enter quantity used and unit price 3. Specify the number of portions the recipe yields 4. Review the total cost and cost per serving 5. Set your target food cost percentage 6. Get the recommended selling price

Benefits

Know exact costs per dish

Set profitable menu prices

Track ingredient expenses

Standardize portion costs

Improve profit margins

FAQ