Food cost calculator

How to use it

1. 1Type your figures into the calculator. The answer is worked out in your browser, and what you type stays there unless you press Email me this result.
2. 2Read the result and its caption. The assumptions are shown on the screen beside the number.
3. 3Save your figures once in the back office. Then this screen, and every other one, answers for your shop instead of a generic one.

What it does

• You can have the answer emailed to you. We use the address once, to send that one email, and then we are done with it: you are not added to any list and we do not email you again.
• A link can arrive with the fields already filled in. The page says so when it happens, and you can change any of it. Those values travel in the web address, so they are in your history and in ours like any other address — the page itself still sends nothing you type.
• The menu price is the plate cost divided by the target: $3.80 at a 30% target is $12.67, rounded up to $12.75.
• It rounds UP to the next 25 cents, because rounding down would miss the target you asked for.
• With today’s price filled in, it shows today’s food cost and how far the price is from the target, or what the plate would have to cost to keep the price.
• Food cost here is ingredients only. Wages, rent and packaging are separate, which is why a target of about a third is normal.
• The sums are done in your browser. Nothing is uploaded unless you press Email me this result.

Common questions

What is a good food cost percentage?

Many cafes and restaurants aim for 25 to 35%. Drinks usually run lower and meat-heavy dishes higher. What matters is the average across what you actually sell.

How do I work out the cost of one plate?

Add up what each ingredient costs for one portion: the weight used times the price per kilo or per unit from your supplier. Include garnish, sauce and the cup or box if it goes with the dish.

Should every item hit the same target?

No. A coffee might sit at 15% and a steak at 40%. Profit by item in the free back office shows which items carry the menu and which only keep you busy.

Why is the price rounded up?

Because a menu prints $12.75, not $12.67, and rounding down would leave you under the target you chose.

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