Food Cost Percentage Calculator
Measures how much of each sale goes on ingredients, for one dish or a whole period.
Share sends a link that reopens these numbers. Copy details pastes the full breakdown as a list.
The formula
food cost % = cost of food ÷ sales × 100 cost of food = opening stock + purchases − closing stock
Use sales before sales tax, or the percentage comes out too low. Many restaurants aim for 25–35%, but the right figure depends on the type of business.
What to watch out for
A period’s figure includes waste, staff meals and over-portioning, so it usually runs above what the dish costings predict. That gap is the thing to watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the food cost of a 3.50 dish sold at 12.00?
29.2%.
How do I work out food cost for a month?
Take opening stock, add purchases and subtract closing stock, then divide by food sales. With 2,000, 8,000, 1,800 and 28,000, it comes to 29.3%.
What is a good food cost percentage?
Many restaurants aim for about 25–35%. A café selling mostly drinks can run lower and a high-end restaurant with expensive ingredients higher.