Menu Pricing Calculator
Enter the dish food cost, target percentage and sales tax.
Menu price before tax
β
Enter values above
Menu price with tax
β
Gross profit per dish
β
Actual food cost
β
Weekly gross profit
β
Price needed for 25% food cost
β
Worked example
With the default inputs shown below, this calculator returns the following results:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Food cost per dish ($) | 6 |
| Target food cost (%) | 30 |
| Sales tax / VAT (%) | 0 |
| Dishes sold per week | 120 |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Menu price before tax | $20.00 |
| Menu price with tax | $20.00 |
| Gross profit per dish | $14.00 |
| Actual food cost | 30.00% |
| Weekly gross profit | $1,680 |
| Price needed for 25% food cost | $24.00 |
Values shown are produced by this page in your browser; change any input to update them.
How to use the Menu Pricing Calculator
- Food cost per dish ($) β default 6
- Target food cost (%) β default 30
- Sales tax / VAT (%) β default 0
- Dishes sold per week β default 120
- Press Calculate to update the results instantly.
Frequently asked questions
Twenty-eight to thirty-five percent is the conventional range. Above 35% there is usually little left for labour, rent and profit; below 25% the portion may look poor value.
Roughly yes, but allow strategic exceptions: low-margin signature dishes and high-margin drinks and sides. Track the blended food cost rather than each item in isolation.
Labour, rent, utilities, packaging, waste and card fees. Food cost percentage only controls the plate; the rest of the P&L decides whether the restaurant makes money.