What food cost percentage should I target?

Most full-service restaurants aim for 28% to 35% of revenue, quick service often runs 25% to 30%, and fine dining can sit at 35% to 40%. The right target depends on your concept and labor model. Prime cost, which adds labor to food, is usually a more reliable health check.

What is prime cost and why does it matter?

Prime cost is food and beverage cost plus total labor cost, the two largest controllable expenses in a restaurant. The industry benchmark is to keep it under 65% of sales. Above that, most restaurants struggle to turn a profit once rent, utilities, and other overheads are paid.

Which calculator should I start with?

Start by costing a recipe or portion, because every pricing and profit decision depends on knowing your true cost per plate. Once you have that, move to menu pricing, then check the whole operation with prime cost and break-even.

Are these accurate enough for real decisions?

Yes, for operational decisions. Each calculator uses the correct underlying formula for its metric and is mathematically accurate for the numbers you enter. They do not replace your full accounting system, but they are precise enough for daily and weekly management calls.

Do I need to sign up or install anything?

No. Every restaurant calculator is free, runs in your browser, and needs no login or download. Nothing you enter is uploaded, so your recipes and cost data stay private on your device.

Free Restaurant Calculators

Cost recipes, price the menu, and track prime cost, labor, and break-even. Built for owners, chefs, and cafe operators.

Restaurant margins live or die on a handful of numbers, and these free calculators give you all of them fast. Start by costing a recipe or a single plate, then price the item so it hits your target food cost, and finally check the whole operation with prime cost, labor, and break-even. Because you understand food businesses, the tools skip the fluff and go straight to the decisions that change your profit: what to charge, where waste is leaking money, and whether a catering job or a delivery channel is actually worth it. Every calculation runs in your browser.

Cost a recipe or a plate

Start here. Use the Portion Cost Calculator for the cost of a single serving, the Prep Recipe Cost Calculator for a batch you portion out later, and the Recipe Batch Scaling Tool to scale a recipe up or down without redoing the math. The Yield and Waste Calculator adjusts for trim and shrinkage so your costs are real.

Portion Cost Calculator

Calculate the cost per portion for any ingredient. Enter the pack size, pack price, and portion size to get an accurate per-serve cost for menu costing and recipe building.

Prep Recipe Cost Calculator

Calculate the cost per unit of a batch-prepared recipe - sauces, doughs, marinades, stocks, and bases. Enter all ingredients and batch yield to get the cost per litre, kilogram, or portion.

Recipe Batch Scaling Tool

Scale any recipe up or down to a new yield. Enter your original recipe quantities and the target yield, and get the scaled amounts for every ingredient instantly.

Yield and Waste Calculator

Calculate the true cost of an ingredient after accounting for trim and cooking loss. Find out what you actually pay per usable kilogram, litre, or unit.

Price the menu

Once you know cost, set the price. The Menu Item Profit Optimizer finds a price that hits your target food cost, the Menu Price Increase Planner models a rise across the menu, and the pizza and coffee tools handle the two categories with the trickiest per-unit math.

Menu Item Profit Optimizer

Enter your ingredient cost and target profit margin to get the recommended selling price for dine-in, takeaway, and delivery. See gross profit and food cost percentage for each channel.

Menu Price Increase Planner

Model the revenue and profit impact of raising menu prices. See how much revenue you keep if customer numbers drop, and find the price increase that maximises profit.

Pizza Cost and Price Calculator

Calculate the ingredient cost for a pizza by size and toppings, then find the right selling price to hit your target food cost percentage. Covers dough, sauce, cheese, and toppings.

Coffee Drink Profit Calculator

Calculate the ingredient cost and profit margin for espresso-based drinks. Enter coffee dose, milk volume, cup cost, and other components to find your drink cost and the right selling price.

Run the whole operation

Check the business, not just the plate. The Prime Cost Calculator combines food and labor against the 65% benchmark, the Labor Cost Calculator breaks down staffing, and the Break-even Calculator finds the daily sales you need. Use the Catering Quote Builder for events and the Allergen Matrix Generator for a clear allergen sheet.

Restaurant Prime Cost Calculator

Calculate your restaurant's prime cost percentage - the combined food cost and labor cost as a share of total sales. The single most important profitability metric in the industry.

Restaurant Labor Cost Calculator

Calculate total labor cost for a shift, day, or week. Enter staff names, hours worked, and hourly rates to get total labor cost and labor-to-revenue ratio.

Restaurant Break-Even Calculator

Calculate the daily and monthly sales your restaurant needs to cover all fixed costs. Enter your fixed costs, average spend, and gross margin to find your break-even point.

Catering Quote Builder

Build a professional catering quote for events. Enter event details, menu packages, staffing, and extras. Download as PDF or print.

Restaurant Allergen Matrix Generator

Build a menu allergen matrix showing which dishes contain the 14 major allergens. Print for front-of-house or save as PDF for your records.

Which tool should I use?

I do not know what a dish actually costs me: Start with the Portion Cost Calculator for a single plate, or the Prep Recipe Cost Calculator if you cook a batch and portion it out.
I need to set or raise a menu price: Use the Menu Item Profit Optimizer to hit a target food cost, or the Menu Price Increase Planner to model a rise across the whole menu at once.
I want to know if the business is healthy: Run the Restaurant Prime Cost Calculator. Under 65% of sales is the benchmark; above it, profit gets hard after rent and overheads.
A customer asked for a catering quote: Use the Catering Quote Builder to price the event with food, labor, and margin in one document.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

What food cost percentage should I target?: Most full-service restaurants aim for 28% to 35% of revenue, quick service often runs 25% to 30%, and fine dining can sit at 35% to 40%. The right target depends on your concept and labor model. Prime cost, which adds labor to food, is usually a more reliable health check.
What is prime cost and why does it matter?: Prime cost is food and beverage cost plus total labor cost, the two largest controllable expenses in a restaurant. The industry benchmark is to keep it under 65% of sales. Above that, most restaurants struggle to turn a profit once rent, utilities, and other overheads are paid.
Which calculator should I start with?: Start by costing a recipe or portion, because every pricing and profit decision depends on knowing your true cost per plate. Once you have that, move to menu pricing, then check the whole operation with prime cost and break-even.
Are these accurate enough for real decisions?: Yes, for operational decisions. Each calculator uses the correct underlying formula for its metric and is mathematically accurate for the numbers you enter. They do not replace your full accounting system, but they are precise enough for daily and weekly management calls.
Do I need to sign up or install anything?: No. Every restaurant calculator is free, runs in your browser, and needs no login or download. Nothing you enter is uploaded, so your recipes and cost data stay private on your device.