Live tool
Food Cost Calculator
Estimate food cost percentage and gross profit from item cost and selling price before making pricing decisions.
Usable Unit Cost = Package Cost / (Package Size x Usable Yield %)
Open calculatorMenu Planning
Menu Price Calculator
Estimate a menu price from food cost and target food cost percentage.
Menu price calculator
Turn item cost and target food cost into a suggested selling price.
Example presets Load example values to see how the calculator works.
Results Updates after calculation
What this means
Results will appear here with a practical note about what to check next.
Worked example
Example calculation
If a menu item costs $5.25 to make and your target food cost is 30%, the exact formula price is $17.50. If the current price is $16.00, the calculator shows the price gap and the extra gross profit the suggested price would create.
Formula
Calculator formula
Target menu price
Menu Price = Food Cost / Target Food Cost %Contribution margin
Contribution Margin = Menu Price - Food CostSteps
How to use this tool
- 01
Enter the total food cost for the item.
- 02
Add the current price if you want to compare today’s menu price with the suggested price.
- 03
Enter the target food cost percentage as a whole number.
- 04
Choose a target preset or enter your own target.
- 05
Round the result to a menu-friendly ending such as .00, .49, .95, or .99.
Watchouts
Common mistakes
Forgetting that target food cost is entered as a percentage.
Rounding down too aggressively.
Ignoring labor-heavy items that need stronger pricing.
Decision support
How to use the suggested price
Treat the suggested price as a pricing checkpoint, not an automatic menu change.
Review contribution margin dollars alongside food cost percentage before comparing menu items.
If the suggested price is far above the market, review portion size, ingredient mix, or item role before simply raising price.
Related calculators
Next useful tools
Move to the next calculator when this result needs another pricing, portion, or yield check.
Live tool
Food Cost Percentage Calculator
Use the food cost percentage formula to compare food cost against the selling price for one item or package.
Food Cost % = (Food Cost / Sales Price) x 100
Open calculator Live tool
Menu Engineering Calculator
Analyze one menu item by food cost, gross profit, and weekly sales to see whether it is a Star, Challenge, Workhorse, or Underperformer.
Food Cost % = Food Cost / Selling Price x 100
Open calculatorLearn the method
Related guides
Use these guides when you want the assumptions and examples behind the calculator.
How to Price Menu Items
Use food cost, target percentage, market position, and contribution margin to set better menu prices.
Read guideHow to Calculate Food Cost Percentage
Learn the food cost percentage formula, how to calculate it, and how to use the number when checking menu prices.
Read guideMenu Engineering Guide for Restaurants and Food Businesses
Learn how menu engineering works, what Star, Challenge, Workhorse, and Underperformer items mean, and how to improve menu profitability.
Read guideFrequently asked questions
Does this calculator set the final menu price?
It gives a starting point. Final pricing should also consider labor, overhead, demand, brand position, competition, and contribution margin.
What target food cost should I use?
Many teams start around 30%, but the right target varies by concept, item mix, and operating model.
What if my current price is lower than the suggested price?
Treat the gap as a pricing warning, not an automatic price change. Check portion size, ingredient cost, contribution margin, guest value, and market position before raising the price.
Should I round menu prices to .95 or .99?
Use the ending that fits your concept. A casual or traditional menu may use .95 or .99, while premium or simplified menus may use clean whole-dollar pricing.
Why is food cost percentage not the only pricing factor?
Food cost percentage does not include labor, prep complexity, overhead, demand, brand position, or how many gross-profit dollars the item contributes.