Food Cost Calculator for Restaurants

Success in the food industry is built on data. Use this professional Food Cost Calculator to determine your exact recipe margins, control kitchen waste, and optimize your menu pricing for higher profits.

Food Cost Calculator

Ingredient Price (₹) Buy Qty Buy Unit Used Qty Used Unit
Total Recipe Cost
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Cost Per Portion
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Food Cost %
0%

How to Use This Calculator

Costing your menu items correctly ensures your business stays profitable. Follow these steps:

  1. List Ingredients: Enter every item used (spices, garnishes, oil, etc.).
  2. Invoice Data: Fill in the price and total quantity you purchased from your supplier.
  3. Actual Usage: Enter exactly how much of that ingredient goes into the specific recipe.
  4. Determine Portions: Set how many plates this recipe serves.
  5. Set Sale Price: Enter your menu price to see your food cost percentage instantly.

What is Food Cost?

In the simplest terms, food cost is the ratio of the cost of ingredients to the revenue generated from selling those ingredients. Understanding this is the first step toward food cost control. In my 13 years of experience in hotel kitchens, I've seen that the most successful chefs don't just cook—they manage their numbers.

What is Food Cost? (Formula Explained)

Food cost is the ratio of ingredient costs to total revenue. For chefs wondering how to calculate food cost for a recipe manually, here is the formula:

1. Standard Food Cost Formula (Overall Inventory)

This is used to check your restaurant's health at the end of the month:

(Beginning Inventory + Purchases - Ending Inventory) ÷ Total Sales = Food Cost %

2. How to Calculate Food Cost for a Recipe

If you want to know how to calculate food cost for a recipe specifically:

(Total Cost of Ingredients per Dish ÷ Menu Price) × 100 = Recipe Food Cost %

Food Cost Kaise Nikale? Apni recipe ke total kharche ko selling price se divide karein aur 100 se multiply karein. Industry standard ke mutabiq yeh 30% ke aas-paas hona chahiye.

Food Cost in Dubai vs Vietnam

Operating costs change by country. The food cost in Dubai is often higher (around 32-35%) due to imported goods. However, food cost in Vietnam or India is typically lower (25-30%) when sourcing locally.

Pro Tips for Food Cost Control

  1. Portion Control: Use standardized scoops and scales.

  2. Waste Tracking: Every burnt steak or spilled sauce is profit down the drain.

  3. Menu Pricing: Use our calculator to ensure your menu pricing food cost formula leaves at least a 70% Gross Profit.

  4. Bulk Cooking: Calculating 100 people food cost is different from a single plate; always factor in a 5% "buffer" for bulk waste.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the food cost formula in hotel kitchens?

Hotel kitchens use the "Inventory Method": (Opening Inventory + Purchases - Closing Inventory) / Food Sales. This gives an overall view of monthly performance.

What is a good food cost percentage?

A healthy range is 28% to 35%. If yours is above 40%, you should review your portion control or find new suppliers.

Do I need to include delivery packaging?

Yes! In cloud kitchens, packaging is a direct cost. Always add the cost of containers and cutlery as an ingredient to get an accurate margin.

Essential Kitchen Reference Guide

Don't lose your hard-earned profits to guesswork. We have condensed the most critical food cost formulas, unit conversion tables, and ingredient yield benchmarks into a single, printable A4 page.

This 1-page cheat sheet is the perfect reference for your kitchen office, prep station, or manager's desk to ensure every dish stays within your target food cost percentage.

Free Food Cost Cheat Sheet (PDF)

Get the 1-page professional reference guide for formulas, yield charts, and kitchen benchmarks.

📥 Download Now
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