Recipe
Ingredients
Use any units that match your invoice. If you bought beef at $8/lb and use 4 oz, enter 4 / oz / $0.50 (or 0.25 / lb / $8) — both work.
Pricing
Industry typical: 28-32% full service, 25-30% QSR. Lower target = higher menu price for the same dish.
For takeout containers, paper goods, etc. Adds to your true cost per serving.
Add at least one ingredient with quantity and cost to see the result.
Why most operators don't actually know their per-plate cost
Cost per plate is the single most ignored number in restaurant operations. Operators know their food cost % at the period level from the P&L. They don't know it dish by dish. Which means they don't know which dishes are dragging margin and which are carrying it.
You don't need a fancy system to figure this out. You need ten minutes per dish with the invoice prices. This tool makes the math the fast part. The bottleneck is sitting down to do it.
When you're ready to keep these numbers attached to the recipes themselves, with batch scaling, allergens, and team handoff, that's the TacOS Playbook.
Frequently asked questions
What's a good food cost percentage?
Industry rough guide: 28-32% for full-service restaurants, 25-30% for QSR / fast casual, 18-24% for bars and beverages, and 35-40% can be acceptable for high-end concepts where labor is the bigger lever. The right number is whatever leaves you the margin you need after labor and fixed costs.
How does the suggested price work?
Suggested price = cost per serving ÷ target food cost %. So a $3 plate at a 30% target = $10 menu price. The math is intentionally simple — it gives you a starting point. Real menu pricing also factors in what your guests will pay, what comparable items run elsewhere, and how the dish anchors the rest of your menu.
Do I need to convert units?
Only if you want to. The tool just multiplies quantity × cost per unit, so as long as those two numbers match, you're fine. If you bought beef at $8/lb and use 4 oz, you can enter either (4 oz × $0.50/oz) or (0.25 lb × $8/lb) — same result. Whichever way you remember it from the invoice.
What about labor cost?
Food cost % is just food. Total cost of a dish includes the labor to make it, but most operators track those separately. The packaging cost field is in there for takeout containers and paper goods that travel with the dish. For full labor budgeting, use the Schedule + Labor Budget tool.
Is this saved anywhere?
No. Pure projection — type the recipe in, get the numbers, print or save the sheet. If you want to keep recipes with versioning, allergens, batch math, and team handoff, that's the full TacOS Playbook.
Built by the team at TacOS
TacOS is a restaurant operations platform — recipes, SOPs, schedules, training, and AI authoring in one place. Free tools like this one are how we say hi.
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