Food Cost Percentage

Calculate the share of food sales spent on ingredients using inventory and purchases.

Calculate your result

Enter the figures for the same reporting period. Your entries are calculated locally in your browser.

Do I use total restaurant sales?

Use the food-sales figure for the same period as food inventory and purchases, rather than beverage sales or a different period.

Do staff meals and waste affect this number?

Yes. Inventory-based cost includes food used and losses; track waste and transfers separately to interpret changes.

Compare labor expense with net sales over the same shift, week or reporting period.

Turn a recipe's plate cost and desired food-cost percentage into a starting menu price.

Estimate how much monthly sales are required to cover fixed costs after variable costs.

See the combined weight of cost of goods sold and labor relative to sales.