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Food Cost Calculator

Enter your recipe ingredients, selling price and target margin. All figures update in real time.

Ingredient Qty Unit Unit cost ($)
per unit selected
Yield % Line cost

Results

Add ingredients above to see your calculation.
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For context on what a good food cost percentage looks like for your concept type: What Is a Good Food Cost Percentage for Restaurants in Australia?.

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The Pro Toolkit extends this calculator across 50+ recipes with batch scaling, yield-adjusted costing, supplier price comparison and a weekly food cost dashboard — built for operators running real venues.

50+ recipe workbook Batch scale multiplier Supplier price comparison Yield-adjusted costing Weekly food cost dashboard
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Once you have your food cost percentage, the next step is understanding what to do with it. A 30-minute strategy call can turn these numbers into an operating plan.

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🔒 This calculator runs entirely in your browser — the figures you enter are not sent to or stored on our servers.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as "food cost" in this calculator?

The direct ingredient cost of the dish as purchased and prepared — before labour, packaging or overheads. This matches the basis used across our food cost benchmark guides, so the numbers are comparable.

What's a realistic target food cost percentage?

It depends heavily on concept type — quick service typically runs 25–32%, cafés 24–30%, casual dining 28–34%, and premium dining 32–42%. See our guide to good food cost percentage in Australia for the full breakdown by concept.

Does this calculator account for yield loss from trimming or cooking?

Not directly — enter your unit cost as the true cost after yield loss for the most accurate result. Our recipe yield & portion cost calculator works out that true cost, which you can then use as the unit cost input here.