Food cost calculator for one plate.
List what goes into a dish, the way you buy it (per kg, per litre or per piece). See what one plate costs, your food cost percentage, and the price you need to hit your target.
- Prices per kg, litre or piece
- Batch recipes divided per plate
- Works with GST-inclusive menus
Food cost % = cost of the ingredients in one plate ÷ selling price before GST × 100. A plate that costs ₹84 to make and sells for ₹280 has a 30% food cost. To price for a target, divide the plate cost by the target: ₹84 ÷ 0.30 = ₹280.
Cost a plate from its recipe.
The rows below are an example (Paneer Tikka). Change them to your own recipe.
Margin here means selling price before GST minus ingredient cost. Rent and salaries come out of it.
Example: costing Paneer Tikka
An example with sample market prices, not a real restaurant’s numbers.
| Ingredient | Used per plate | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Paneer at ₹380/kg | 150 g | ₹57.00 |
| Hung curd at ₹80/kg | 40 g | ₹3.20 |
| Capsicum and onion at ₹50/kg | 60 g | ₹3.00 |
| Oil at ₹160/litre | 15 ml | ₹2.40 |
| Spices and masala | 1 portion at ₹4 | ₹4.00 |
| Plate cost | ₹69.60 |
At a menu price of ₹280 before GST, the food cost is ₹69.60 ÷ ₹280 = 24.9%. At a 30% target, the lowest price would be ₹69.60 ÷ 0.30 = ₹232 before GST.
How it works
- Line cost = quantity used × your price for that unit. Grams and millilitres are converted to kg and litres first: 150 g of paneer at ₹380/kg is 0.15 × 380 = ₹57.
- Plate cost = all line costs ÷ plates the recipe makes + other costs per plate.
- Food cost % = plate cost ÷ selling price before GST × 100. If your menu price includes 5% GST, the price before GST is menu price ÷ 1.05.
- Price for a target = plate cost ÷ (target % ÷ 100).
Once you know the plate cost, the menu price calculator rounds it to a clean menu price with GST. Our guide to food cost percentage explains how to bring it down.
Let your POS keep food cost for you
Costing one dish on paper is useful. Keeping it right every week, as paneer and oil prices move, is hard by hand. In Venditas POS you add each recipe once. Every paid bill then takes the ingredients out of stock, purchases update your costs, and you see the food cost for each dish next to its sales. It costs ₹3 per paid order after 30 days free, with every feature included (see pricing). To see what your whole month looks like, try the restaurant profit calculator.
Quick answers
What is food cost percentage?
It is the cost of the ingredients in a dish as a share of its selling price before GST. A plate that costs ₹84 to make and sells for ₹280 has a food cost of 30%.
What is a good food cost percentage for a restaurant?
There is no single right number. As a rule of thumb many restaurants aim for roughly 25% to 35%, with drinks and breads lower and seafood or meat dishes higher. What matters most is knowing it for each dish and watching it every month.
Should I use the menu price with or without GST?
Without GST. The GST on a bill is not your money; it goes to the government. If your menu prices include 5% GST, divide by 1.05 first. The calculator does this when you pick “Includes 5% GST”.
How do I cost small items like spices, oil or garnish?
Either measure them for one plate, or cost the whole batch of masala or gravy and divide by the number of plates it makes. If that is too fiddly, add a small fixed amount per plate under “Other costs per plate”.
What is the difference between plate cost and food cost %?
Plate cost is the rupee cost of the ingredients in one serving. Food cost % compares that cost with the selling price, so you can compare a ₹60 naan with a ₹400 biryani.
Can my POS work out food cost for me?
Yes. In Venditas POS you add a recipe once; after that every paid bill takes the ingredients out of stock and you see the food cost for each dish. It is free for 30 days, then ₹3 per paid order.
Every feature. ₹3 per order.
Billing, KOTs, kitchen screen, QR ordering, stock and reports, on the phones you already have. First 30 days free, no card.