What does that plate really cost you?
Add up the food, the gas and the container, then see what you should be charging — and whether the price on your board is actually making money.
What the plate costs you
Put in everything that goes out the door — food, gas, and the container. People forget the box.
To hit a 33% food cost. Round it up to a sensible number on the board.
Food cost above 45% is tight. Either the price is low for what is on the plate, or the portion is bigger than you think. Weigh one out and check.
A common rule of thumb is a food cost around 28–35%, which leaves room for rent, gas, staff and the days business is slow. Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.
Common questions
What food cost percentage should a cook shop aim for?+
A common target is 28-35%. That means the food on the plate costs about a third of what you charge, leaving room for rent, gas, staff, waste and slow days. Below 25% may mean the portion is small; above 45% is usually too tight to survive on.
Should I include the container in my plate cost?+
Yes. Foil pans, boxes, bags, forks and napkins go out the door with every order and can easily add J$40-60 a plate. Shops that leave packaging out of the calculation consistently underprice.
How do I price a dish that makes several plates at once?+
Cost the whole pot, then divide by the number of plates it actually yields, not the number you hoped for. Yield is where most costings go wrong.