Food Cost Calculator
Know exactly what every dish costs to make, down to the last ingredient
Add your ingredients, portions and wastage, and MenuCost works out the food cost and food cost percentage of every recipe for you. Price with confidence and protect your margins.
- No card needed
- Set up in minutes
- Unlimited recipes
| Ingredient, per portion | Qty | SAR |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | 180 g | 5.04 |
| Dressing | 60 ml | 2.18 |
| Greens and vegetables | 150 g | 2.10 |
| Bread | 1 piece | 1.40 |
| Food cost per portion | 10.72 |
Example recipe: chicken at SAR 28 per kg. Gauge scale 0 to 60%, marker at your target.
Why this matters
Guessing food cost is how best-sellers quietly lose money
Most kitchen teams have a rough idea of what a dish costs. Rough isn't enough. A price that felt safe six months ago may not cover today's ingredient costs, and without a current number, nobody notices.
When the price was set
Chicken at SAR 28 per kg.
After chicken rises 15%
Same dish, same price, higher cost.
Without a calculator, you probably wouldn't notice until the monthly numbers came in. MenuCost updates the food cost of every recipe the moment you change an ingredient price.
Four things the Food Cost Calculator does for you
A real food cost number for every recipe, kept current as prices change.
Builds your recipe from real quantities
Add each ingredient, how much goes into a portion and the unit. MenuCost uses your latest ingredient prices and works out each one's share of the cost.
Factors in waste
Set a wastage percentage for ingredients that lose weight in prep, like trimmed vegetables or cooked proteins, so the cost reflects what you actually use, not just what you bought.
Calculates food cost % at any price
Enter a selling price and see the food cost percentage and gross profit per portion. Change the price and the numbers update straight away.
Updates every recipe when prices change
Update the price of chicken once in your ingredient list and every recipe using chicken recalculates. No recipe falls out of date.
What changes when you know the true cost of every dish
Prices set on real numbers
Every price starts from an exact cost, so you know your margin before a dish reaches the menu.
Instant view of price changes
When a supplier raises a price, you see which dishes are affected and by how much, before the month closes.
No manual recalculation
Change an ingredient or adjust a portion and the food cost updates. Your cost sheet stays current on its own.
One consistent number
Every recipe uses the same ingredient prices and the same waste logic. No conflicting spreadsheets.
What is food cost percentage, and what should mine be?
It's the ingredient cost divided by the selling price. A dish that costs SAR 10 in ingredients and sells for SAR 30 has a 33% food cost. Common targets are roughly 28% to 35% for casual dining, 25% to 32% for fine dining and 25% to 35% for bakeries, but the right target depends on your labour, overhead and concept. Set your own target in MenuCost and compare every recipe against it.
How does waste affect my food cost?
If you buy 1 kg of chicken but only 800 g is usable after trimming, a fifth of what you paid for never reaches the plate, so the real cost per usable gram is higher than the purchase price suggests. Set a wastage percentage on the ingredient in your recipe and MenuCost includes it, so the cost reflects what you actually use.
Does it include packaging and labour?
Food cost percentage is about ingredients, but MenuCost doesn't stop there. Add packaging per recipe, labour from prep time and a share of overhead, and see the complete True Cost per Serving next to your food cost.
What happens when I update an ingredient price?
MenuCost recalculates every recipe using that ingredient right away. You don't need to open each recipe, so your whole menu stays accurately costed even when supplier prices change often.
Can I see which dishes are above my target food cost?
Yes. Menu Profitability Analysis shows every dish with its food cost percentage and gross profit, colour-coded so the ones that need a price change, a recipe tweak or a supplier conversation stand out.
Works hand in hand with
Start knowing the true cost of every dish
A real food cost number for every recipe, kept current automatically.
- No card needed
- Set up in minutes
- Unlimited recipes