Menu Item Costing and Price-Per-Plate Calculator

Works out what one plate of a menu item costs you to make, then shows the price you would need to charge to hit the food cost percentage you want.

Food truckFood and Drink✓ Checkedv1.0

Before and after

BEFORE · what the owner typed

Hi its Cassandra Akers from Hartshire Street Grill, we run the truck out of Valeglen, parked most days on Gableshire St. I need to cost out my smoked brisket tacos. Recipe makes 20 tacos. Target food cost is 30 percent. Right now I sell them at $4.50 each. Brisket: I use 6 lb cooked weight for the batch. I buy it at $9.00 a lb already smoked, so just use 6 lb at that. Corn tortillas: bag of 100 for $8.00, I use 40 (2 per taco) Pickled red onion: 1 qt jar costs $6.40, I use 1/2 of a jar Cotija cheese: 1 lb tub is $7.20, I use 8 oz Cilantro: 4 bunches for the batch at $1.25 each Lime crema: I make it, costs me $3.80 for the batch Packaging: paper boat tray $0.12 each and 1 napkin $0.02 each, per taco Waste: figure 5 percent on the food, not the packaging Phone for the truck is 330-555-0110 if you need me.

AFTER · what the skill produced

Smoked Brisket Tacos, makes 20 tacos

Ingredients

Brisket: 6 lb x $9.00 per lb = $54.00
Corn tortillas: $8.00 / 100 = $0.08 each x 40 = $3.20
Pickled red onion: $6.40 x 1/2 jar = $3.20
Cotija cheese: $7.20 / 16 oz = $0.45 per oz x 8 oz = $3.60
Cilantro: 4 bunches x $1.25 = $5.00
Lime crema: $3.80

Ingredient subtotal: $54.00 + $3.20 + $3.20 + $3.60 + $5.00 + $3.80 = $72.80

Waste at 5 percent of the food: $72.80 x 0.05 = $3.64

Packaging

Paper boat tray: $0.12 x 20 = $2.40
Napkin: $0.02 x 20 = $0.40
Packaging subtotal: $2.80

Total recipe cost: $72.80 + $3.64 + $2.80 = $79.24

Cost per plate: $79.24 / 20 = $3.962, which rounds to $3.96 per taco

Suggested price at 30 percent food cost: $3.96 / 0.30 = $13.20 per taco

At your current price of $4.50:

Food cost percentage: $3.96 / $4.50 = 88.0 percent
Profit per taco before labor and other costs: $4.50 - $3.96 = $0.54
Gap to your 30 percent target: your current price is $8.70 below the $13.20 the formula gives

Not included: labor, fuel, propane, commissary fees, insurance, permits, and card fees.

Questions for the owner

The 6 lb of brisket for 20 tacos is 4.8 oz per taco. Is that the amount you want to use? If it is smaller, send the real figure and I will redo the math.
Do you want the suggested price rounded to a menu-friendly figure?

What it does

Works out what one plate of a menu item costs you to make, then shows the price you would need to charge to hit the food cost percentage you want. It uses only the ingredient prices and quantities you give it.

Use it when: Use when a food truck owner wants to cost a menu item and find the price per plate, such as: what does this dish cost me, work out my plate cost, what should I charge for this, or check my food cost percentage.