Workflow hub
Food Costing
Calculators and guides for recipe cost, food cost percentage, menu price, and margin checks.
5 calculator links / 6 guide links
Explore hubCategories
Kitchen tool categories
Find calculators and guides by the kitchen workflow you are working on.
Workflow directory
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Each hub groups calculators and guides around a practical kitchen decision, from recipe cost to catering quantity planning.
Start here
Pick the category by the problem in front of you
Food Cost Tools categories are organized around operator workflows, not broad blog topics. Start with the decision you need to make, then move to the calculator or guide that supports it.
- If you need to check profit pressure, start with Food Costing.
- If you know item cost but need a menu price, use Menu Planning.
- If the portion count changed, use Recipe & Yield before costing.
- If invoice units and recipe units do not match, use Kitchen Conversions.
- If the job is event-based, use Catering to plan guest count and portions.
Comparison
Which category should you choose?
| User problem | Best category | Best starting point |
|---|---|---|
| What does this recipe cost per portion? | Food Costing | Recipe Cost Calculator |
| What does this dish cost or margin look like? | Food Costing | Food Cost Calculator |
| What should I charge for this menu item? | Menu Planning | Menu Price Calculator |
| Which menu items are profitable and popular? | Menu Planning | Menu Engineering Calculator |
| How do I scale this batch up or down? | Recipe & Yield | Recipe Scaling Calculator |
| How do I convert pounds, ounces, cups, or quarts? | Kitchen Conversions | Kitchen Unit Converter |
| What should I charge per person for catering? | Catering | Catering Price Per Person Calculator |
| How much food do I need for this event? | Catering | Catering Portion Calculator |
Workflow summaries
What each hub is for
Food Costing
Use this hub when you need to check ingredient cost, portion cost, food cost percentage, or pricing pressure before changing a menu item.
Explore hubCatering
Use this hub for guest-count math, portion planning, buffet buffers, and catering quote checkpoints.
Explore hubRecipe & Yield
Use this hub when a recipe needs to scale up, scale down, or be checked against realistic production yield.
Explore hubKitchen Conversions
Use this hub when purchase units, prep units, and recipe units do not match and you need a quick conversion checkpoint.
Explore hubMenu Planning
Use this hub for menu price checks, recipe-cost workflows, and practical planning decisions that connect food cost with market fit.
Explore hub Workflow hub
Catering
Planning tools for guest counts, portions, buffet service, and catering price decisions.
5 calculator links / 4 guide links
Explore hub Workflow hub
Recipe & Yield
Recipe scaling, batch yield, portion changes, and production planning for kitchen teams.
4 calculator links / 3 guide links
Explore hub Workflow hub
Kitchen Conversions
Fast conversions for common kitchen units, batch changes, prep math, and purchasing checks.
2 calculator links / 2 guide links
Explore hub Workflow hub
Menu Planning
Menu pricing, recipe costing, and planning support for restaurants and food businesses.
3 calculator links / 3 guide links
Explore hubRecommended tools
Strong starting tools
Use these calculators when you want a quick practical starting point.
Live tool
Recipe Cost Calculator
Build total recipe cost, cost per portion, food cost percentage, and suggested menu price from ingredient package costs.
Ingredient Cost = Quantity Used x Usable Unit Cost
Open calculator Live tool
Cost Per Portion Calculator
Calculate cost per portion from a batch or recipe cost and compare it with target food cost and selling price.
Cost Per Portion = Total Recipe Cost / Number of Portions
Open calculator Live tool
Food Cost Calculator
Estimate food cost percentage and gross profit from item cost and selling price before making pricing decisions.
Usable Unit Cost = Package Cost / (Package Size x Usable Yield %)
Open calculator Live tool
Catering Price Per Person Calculator
Estimate a catering price per person from food cost, guest count, target percentage, and event costs.
Suggested Event Price = Total Food Cost / Target Food Cost %
Open calculatorRecommended guides
Strong starting guides
Read these guides when you need the method behind the kitchen math.
Food Cost Formula
Understand the food cost formula, food cost percentage equation, gross profit, and how to use food cost math for menu pricing.
Read guideHow to Calculate Cost Per Portion
Learn how to calculate cost per portion from total recipe cost, finished servings, and menu price for restaurants, caterers, and food businesses.
Read guideHow to Calculate Food Cost Percentage
Learn the food cost percentage formula, calculate cost per portion, and use the result to check restaurant, catering, or food business pricing.
Read guideCatering Cost Per Person
Learn how to calculate catering cost per person from food cost, guest count, labor, packaging, delivery, and event costs.
Read guide