A quick way to move from dish cost to a guest-facing price — with a target food cost or target gross profit approach, and sensible rounding options.
Dish cost & target
Results
A calculated price is only the starting point. Rounding decisions carry real psychological weight on a menu — a charm price ending in .90 or .95 tests as better value to most guests than a round number, while a round number can read as more premium in a fine-dining context where guests are less price-sensitive at the point of ordering. Whichever you choose, check the resulting price against comparable dishes on your own menu and against what guests in your market are already used to paying. For the deeper thinking behind this, see our guide on how to price a restaurant menu without leaving margin on the table.
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Target food cost % works well for menu items with fairly similar price points. Target gross profit $ is often more useful for higher-cost items like seafood or premium proteins, where a fixed food cost % target can push the price beyond what guests will pay — a fixed dollar margin target is usually more realistic there.
Because guest perception of value is shaped by the exact price shown, not just the underlying margin. Two prices four cents apart can test very differently with guests depending on where they sit relative to a round number.
No — enter your dish cost and target margin on a GST-exclusive basis, then add GST to the final menu price separately, consistent with how you price the rest of your menu.