Plate Cost and Menu Pricing

Plate cost, suggested menu price at target food-cost %, contribution margin, sanity flag.

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Formula and source

Plate cost = Σ (ingredient EP cost × portion size). Suggested menu price = plate cost / target food-cost % (typical 28-32% in casual dining, 22-28% fine dining). Contribution margin = price − plate cost.

Engineering-practice food-cost benchmarks (NRA / National Restaurant Association published industry medians) by name; USDA FoodData Central for ingredient costs when bundled.

Audience

This tile is built for kitchen and the adjacent professions in the Kitchen and Food Service group. The interactive calculator runs entirely in your browser. No account, no fee, no advertising, no tracking.

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Posture

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