costed plateHow the calculation works
The target is your planning input, not an industry promise. Set it after allowing for payroll, overhead, expected sales and the contribution you need from the menu.
Formula: Portion cost ÷ (target food cost ÷ 100).
Worked example
The starting inputs are illustrative assumptions: Portion ingredient cost ($): 3.6; Target food cost (%): 30. They produce 12.00$. These inputs are editable and are not market prices or industry benchmarks.
Use the result
After rounding a selling price, recalculate the food-cost percentage. The app can round upward to whole numbers, half units or a price ending in .95.
Keep the period, unit and currency consistent across the inputs. A calculator cannot identify a missing cost from the figures you provide. Retain an invoice or stock-count record for the inputs, and use the result as a check on your operating decision.
Sources and method
Checked October 29, 2026. Example inputs and computed results are identified in the text.
- The Principles of Menu Engineering. BC Cook Articulation Committee / BCcampus. Food-cost percentage, menu pricing and contribution margin formulas. Checked 2026-10-29.