Plate cost calculator
On this page
- Plate cost calculator
- How do you use the plate cost calculator?
- What is the plate cost formula?
- What does a worked example look like?
- What is the difference between plate cost and recipe cost?
- Why do plate costs drift?
- How does Varastiq keep plate cost live?
- Frequently asked questions
- Related free tools
- See every plate cost, live
Free tool · no signup · runs in your browser · Last updated: · By the Varastiq team
Key takeaway: Plate cost is the cost of everything on one plate as served: main recipe + sides + sauce + garnish + packaging, plus a small allowance for oil, salt and spices. Food cost % = plate cost ÷ menu price. Contribution margin = menu price − plate cost. Add your components below to see all three.
Plate cost calculator
- Plate cost
- $4.53
- incl. $0.13 allowance
- Food cost
- 25.2%
- Contribution margin
- $13.47
- Price at target
- —
Formula: plate cost = Σ components × (1 + allowance %). Food cost % = plate cost ÷ menu price. Contribution margin = price − plate cost. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
How do you use the plate cost calculator?
- Break the plate into components. The main recipe, each side, each sauce, the garnish, and the container if it goes out the door.
- Enter each component's cost per portion. If a component is its own recipe, cost it with the recipe cost calculator first.
- Set an allowance. Many kitchens add a small percentage (often called a Q-factor) for the oil in the pan, salt, pepper and spices that no recipe lists. Use 0 if your recipes already include them.
- Enter the menu price to see food cost % and contribution margin.
- Optional: enter a target food cost % to see the price that would hit it.
What is the plate cost formula?
Components subtotal = Main + Sides + Sauce + Garnish + Packaging
Plate cost = Subtotal × (1 + Allowance % ÷ 100)
Food cost % = Plate cost ÷ Menu price × 100
Contribution margin = Menu price − Plate cost
Price at target = Plate cost ÷ (Target food cost % ÷ 100)
What does a worked example look like?
A grilled chicken entrée at $18:
| Component | Cost per plate |
|---|---|
| Grilled chicken thigh, 6 oz cooked | $2.35 |
| Herb rice, 5 oz | $0.42 |
| Charred broccolini | $1.10 |
| Salsa verde, 1.5 oz | $0.38 |
| Lemon wedge and herbs | $0.15 |
| Subtotal | $4.40 |
| Allowance, 3% | $0.13 |
| Plate cost | $4.53 |
- Food cost % = $4.53 ÷ $18.00 = 25.2%
- Contribution margin = $13.47 per plate
- To hit a 28% target instead, the price would be $4.53 ÷ 0.28 = $16.19. Here, the current price already beats that target.
Illustrative example. Costs vary by supplier and region.
What is the difference between plate cost and recipe cost?
A recipe cost is one recipe: the salsa verde, the rice, the chicken marinade. A plate cost is the dish as the guest receives it, which usually combines several recipes plus garnish and packaging. Menu prices should be set from plate cost, because that's what you actually sell.
Why do plate costs drift?
Ingredient prices change with every delivery, and a plate cost on a laminated card doesn't. A few cents on the chicken, a new pack size on the rice, a price jump on olive oil, and a dish costed at 25% is suddenly running 29%. Nobody notices until the monthly P&L. That's why Varastiq treats plate cost as live.
How does Varastiq keep plate cost live?
In Varastiq, each dish is built from ingredient and prep recipes. When you capture an invoice, the new prices flow through every recipe and every plate that uses them as soon as the invoice is read. Modifiers show how extras change a dish's cost. See live plate cost.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate plate cost?
Add the per-portion cost of every component on the plate, including the main recipe, sides, sauces, garnish and packaging, then add a small allowance for unlisted items like oil and seasoning if your recipes don't include them.
What is a Q-factor in plate costing?
A Q-factor is a small percentage added to plate cost to cover items too small to list in recipes, such as cooking oil, salt and spices.
Should packaging be in plate cost?
Yes, for any dish sold to go or for delivery. The container, lid and bag are part of what it costs to sell that plate.
What is contribution margin per plate?
Contribution margin is the menu price minus the plate cost. It is the dollars each plate leaves to cover labor, rent and profit.
How is plate cost different from food cost percentage?
Plate cost is a dollar amount for one dish. Food cost percentage is plate cost divided by the menu price for that dish, or total food cost divided by food sales for a whole period.
Does this calculator save my numbers?
No. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Related free tools
Recipe cost calculator · Menu pricing calculator · Yield calculator · Food cost calculator · All tools
See every plate cost, live
Upload your menu and get a first estimate of every dish in about a minute, then make it real with one invoice. Varastiq Pro: $149/month for your first location, plus $99/month for each additional location, or $1,639/year (1 month free). Optional $299 guided setup. Money-back guarantee on the software: 14 days on monthly plans, 30 days on annual.