Free Menu Price Calculator
for Restaurants
Enter your cost per portion and the target you want to hit. Instantly see the price you should charge, a menu-friendly rounded price, and the profit you keep on every serving. No signup required.
Your dish
Suggested price
Enter your cost per portion and a target to see the price you should charge
Price your whole menu, not one dish at a time
Dishboard costs every recipe and suggests a price for each dish across dine-in and delivery. Pro is free until August 31, 2026. No card required.
How to use this menu price calculator
- 1
Enter your cost per portion
Add up every ingredient, prep recipe component (sauces, marinated proteins), and packaging item that goes into one serving. For a batch recipe, divide the total batch cost by the number of portions it yields.
- 2
Pick how you want to price
Switch between a target food cost percentage and a target gross margin. They are two views of the same math: a 30% food cost is the same as a 70% gross margin. Use whichever number your team speaks in.
- 3
Set your target
Tap a preset or type your own. Most restaurants price to a 28 to 32% food cost. Cafes and bars often price drinks tighter, at 18 to 25%, because the market supports it.
- 4
Read your suggested price
The calculator shows the minimum price to hit your target, a menu-friendly price rounded up to a .95 ending, and the gross profit you keep per serving. The rounded price never falls below your target, so your margin is protected.
- 5
Sense-check against your market
The suggested price is a floor, not a ceiling. If similar dishes nearby sell for more, charge more. If your floor is above what the market will pay, the dish costs too much to make at that target, and you should adjust the recipe or the target.
The menu pricing formula
Pricing to a food cost target
Menu price = cost per portion divided by your target food cost %. A dish costing $3.00, priced to a 30% target, should sell for $3.00 divided by 0.30, which is $10.00. Lower the target and the price rises, because you are choosing to keep a larger share of each sale.
Pricing to a margin target
Menu price = cost per portion divided by (1 minus your target gross margin). A $3.00 cost at a 70% margin is $3.00 divided by 0.30, which is also $10.00. Food cost and margin always add to 100%, so 30% food cost and 70% margin describe the exact same price.
The menu-friendly price
Prices ending in .95 or .99 read as better value to customers. This calculator rounds the suggested price up to the next .95 ending, never down, so the rounded price always clears your target. Rounding down below the suggested floor quietly erodes your profit on every single sale.
Gross profit per serving
The dollars left after ingredient and packaging cost, at the suggested price. This is the pool that pays labor, rent, and everything else. A higher-priced dish can carry a higher food cost percentage and still earn more gross profit per sale than a cheaper one.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I calculate the price of a menu item?
- Take your cost per portion and divide it by your target food cost percentage. A $3.00 dish at a 30% target sells for $10.00. You can also divide by (1 minus your target margin), which gives the same answer when food cost and margin add to 100%.
- What is the menu pricing formula?
- Menu price = cost per portion divided by target food cost %. In margin terms: cost per portion divided by (1 minus target gross margin). Both produce the same price for matching targets, such as 30% food cost and 70% margin.
- What food cost percentage should I price to?
- Full-service restaurants commonly price to 28 to 32%. Quick service aims for 25 to 32%. Cafes run 22 to 30% blended, and drinks-only menus often price tighter at 18 to 25%. The right target comes from your own overhead, not just an industry average.
- Should I round my menu prices?
- Yes, and round up. Prices ending in .95 or .99 are standard. This calculator rounds the suggested price up to the next .95 ending so the rounded price never falls below your target. Rounding down erodes margin on every sale.
- Does this account for delivery commission?
- No. This prices for dine-in and takeaway. DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub take 15 to 30% commission, so a dine-in price is usually too low to stay profitable on delivery. Price delivery channels separately.
- What if the suggested price is higher than customers will pay?
- The dish costs too much to make at that target. Reduce the cost per portion, accept a higher food cost if the dish drives traffic, or redesign it. Pricing below the suggested floor to match the market loses money on every order.
Keep going
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