Menu
For kidsColoring pages with your business name
Restaurant / Menu Price Calculator

Menu Price Calculator

Turn a dish's plate cost into a menu price that hits your target food cost percentage.
$

Enter a number of at least 0

%

Enter a number from 0 to 100%

Your own goal: the share of the menu price you allow for ingredients.

Menu price
$15.00
$10.50gross profit per plate
3.33×price ÷ cost
$0price $15.00
  • Plate cost
  • Gross profit
Plate cost$4.50
Target food cost30.0%
Menu price · plate cost ÷ target$15.00

Round to a menu-friendly price near $15.00, then check it against similar dishes nearby.

See breakdown

How the menu price calculation works

  1. Cost one plate

    Add up the ingredients in one portion, including garnish and sides. Here, $4.50.

  2. Pick a target food cost

    Choose the share of the menu price you allow for ingredients. Here, 30%: 30 cents of every dollar goes to food, 70 cents is left.

  3. Divide cost by the target

    $4.50 ÷ 0.30 = $15.00. That leaves $10.50 of gross profit to cover labor, rent and profit.

  4. Adjust for the market

    Round to a sensible price and check what similar dishes sell for nearby. A low-cost dish can carry a lower target.

Worked example. A dish with a $4.50 plate cost at a 30% target food cost should sell for $15.00, leaving $10.50 gross profit per plate.

Menu Price FAQ

What is the menu pricing formula?

Menu price = plate cost ÷ target food cost percentage. A $4.50 plate at a 30% target: $4.50 ÷ 0.30 = $15.00. Gross profit per plate = menu price − plate cost = $10.50.

How do I price a menu item?

Cost one portion, divide by your target food cost percentage, then round to a menu-friendly price and compare it with similar dishes nearby. $4.50 ÷ 0.30 = $15.00.

What food cost percentage should I use?

There is no official standard; it is your own goal. Start from your current food cost percentage (the food cost calculator works it out) and the profit you need after labor and rent. Dishes built on expensive proteins usually carry a higher percentage than ones built on flour, rice or pasta. For context, US listed restaurant companies had a 32.24% gross margin in January 2026 (NYU Stern), but their cost of sales can include more than food, so it is not a food cost target.

Is multiplying the plate cost by 3 the same thing?

Yes. A 3× multiplier is a 33.3% food cost, and a 30% target is a 3.33× multiplier. Dividing by a target percentage makes the goal explicit.

What markup does a 30% food cost give?

A 233% markup on the plate cost. At $4.50 cost and a $15.00 price, the markup is $10.50 ÷ $4.50 = 233%, while the gross margin is $10.50 ÷ $15.00 = 70%.

What if the price looks too high for my market?

Lower the plate cost (portion, ingredients or supplier) or accept a higher food cost on that dish and make it up on cheaper items. At a 35% target the same $4.50 plate needs $12.86 instead of $15.00.

Should menu prices cover labor too?

Indirectly. The gross profit per plate must cover labor, rent, other overhead and profit. Track food plus labor together as prime cost to see whether your prices leave enough.

Sources: NYU Stern (Damodaran): Margins by sector, US, January 2026

Related calculators

Food Cost CalculatorFood cost percentage for a week or month from inventory and purchases, or for one dish from its plate cost and menu price.Prime Cost CalculatorAdd food, beverage and total labor costs to get your restaurant's prime cost and prime cost % against a target.Delivery App Menu Price CalculatorThe DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub menu price that keeps the same profit per order as in-store, and what you lose if you don't raise it.Pour Cost CalculatorWhat each drink costs to pour, its pour cost percentage, and the price that hits your target.Markup CalculatorAdd a markup to your cost to get a selling price, or enter both to see the markup percentage and the margin it gives you.Margin CalculatorProfit, margin and markup from your cost and selling price, or the price you need to hit a target margin.Break-Even CalculatorThe units and sales you need to cover your fixed costs, and what it takes to reach a profit target.Cake Pricing CalculatorPrice a cake from ingredients, packaging, your time, overhead and profit, and get a price per serving and what you earn per hour.