Menu pricing calculator

How the menu calculator works

It follows a purchase-to-portion-to-price path, and shows each step:

1. Package to unit cost. Package price ÷ total package quantity. A case of four 5 lb bags is 20 lb, not 5 lb.
2. Unit cost to ingredient cost. Unit cost × the amount the recipe uses. If you mark an amount as usable (after trimming or cooking loss), the cost is divided by the usable yield once.
3. Batch to portion. Add the ingredient costs, then divide by the finished portions the batch really makes.
4. Portion to price. Price meeting your target = food cost ÷ target food-cost percentage, rounded up to the next cent.

Example (fictional): a $5.00 food cost with a 30% target gives $5.00 ÷ 0.30 = $16.666…, rounded up to $16.67.

Cost, margin and markup are different things

Food-cost percentage is food cost as a share of the selling price. Left after entered costs is the price minus the food cost and the other costs you typed in. Neither is net profit: rent, insurance, waste, taxes and anything you did not enter are not included.

Units and conversions

Weight (g, kg, oz, lb), volume (mL, L, US tsp, tbsp, fl oz, cup, pint, quart, gallon) and count (each) are supported with exact conversion factors. Weight ounces and fluid ounces are labeled separately. The calculator never converts between weight and volume or count, because a cup of flour and a cup of honey weigh different amounts. Use matching units for the package and the recipe.

Limits of this tool

• Only USD, and US customary or metric units.
• Up to 100 ingredients per recipe and 50 saved projects.
• Yield below 100% only. For ingredients that gain weight, like rice, enter the dry amount you buy and set the finished portions.
• No nutrition, allergen or food-safety information, and no tax advice.

See the guides on recipe costing and cooking yield. Planning an event? Try the catering calculator.