Quick summary

Use the tools as planning aids and verify decisions with your records.

Public calculators remain available without payment. Optional Standard accounts add limited saving, and an optional Pro subscription adds expanded workspace and report features.

Acceptance of terms

By using Food Cost Tools, you agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree with these terms, please do not use the site.

Informational use of tools and guides

Food Cost Tools provides free kitchen calculators, examples, and guides for general informational and operational reference. The content is meant to help chefs, caterers, restaurants, and food businesses think through common pricing, portioning, costing, and planning questions.

Calculator estimates and user responsibility

Calculator results are estimates based on the numbers you enter and the formulas shown on the page. You are responsible for checking inputs, reviewing outputs, and deciding whether a result is appropriate for your own menu, event, purchasing, production, or business decision.

Food costs, labor costs, waste, taxes, vendor pricing, service models, local rules, and business goals can vary widely. Do not rely on a calculator result as your only source of truth.

No professional advice

Food Cost Tools does not provide legal, financial, tax, accounting, safety, nutrition, medical, or other professional advice. For decisions that affect your business, compliance, contracts, finances, or guests, consult a qualified professional or review the relevant local requirements.

Accounts and account security

You may use the public calculators without an account. If you create an account, you agree to provide accurate information, keep your credentials secure, and promptly report suspected unauthorized use. You are responsible for activity performed through your account.

Food Cost Tools may suspend or restrict an account when reasonably necessary to investigate fraud, payment abuse, security threats, unlawful activity, or a material breach of these terms.

Standard accounts and saved calculations

A Standard account can save and edit up to three calculations. Public calculators, complete on-page results, copy actions, and available CSV exports remain accessible without a Pro subscription.

Saved calculations are provided for convenience. You should keep your own copy of records needed for accounting, compliance, production, or business continuity. Food Cost Tools does not guarantee that saved records will serve as a permanent backup or system of record.

Food Cost Tools Pro

Pro is an optional recurring subscription that currently includes unlimited saved calculations, editing, duplication, calculation history, PDF reports across supported tools, and custom PDF branding. The price, currency, billing interval, taxes, and final total displayed during checkout control the purchase.

A subscription renews automatically at the interval shown during checkout until it is canceled. Pro access is activated only after Food Cost Tools receives a verified active or trialing subscription status from Stripe.

Payments, taxes, and transaction support

Pro checkout uses Stripe Managed Payments. Stripe or Link acts as the merchant of record for eligible transactions and handles payment methods, indirect tax calculation and collection, receipts, transaction support, fraud prevention, and related billing functions. Checkout may identify the purchase as sold through Link.

You authorize the recurring charges shown at checkout. Taxes may vary by location and are displayed before purchase. Food Cost Tools does not store your full card number or bank account credentials.

Cancellation, failed payments, and plan changes

You can manage or cancel an active subscription through the secure Stripe-hosted billing portal available from account settings. Cancellation timing and continued access are governed by the options shown there and the subscription status Stripe returns to Food Cost Tools.

If a subscription expires, is canceled, becomes unpaid, or otherwise loses active status, the account returns to Standard limits. Existing saved calculations may remain readable or deletable, but new saves, editing, duplication, history, and PDF access may be restricted until the account is within Standard limits or Pro access is restored.

Food Cost Tools prevents account deletion while a Pro subscription is active, trialing, or past due. Manage or cancel billing through the secure portal first, then delete the account after paid access ends. Billing records held by Stripe or Link are managed under their terms and legal obligations.

Refunds and billing questions

Refund eligibility and transaction support are handled through the Stripe Managed Payments or Link process presented with the purchase. Contact Link transaction support or hello@foodcosttools.com promptly if you believe a charge is incorrect. Nothing in these terms limits rights that cannot be waived under applicable law.

Exports and reports

CSV files and PDF reports are generated from the calculator inputs and results available at the time of export. You are responsible for reviewing exported values before relying on, sharing, or storing the file. Report formatting and included fields may change as tools are improved.

If you add a logo, business name, contact details, accent color, or footer note to a Pro report, you confirm that you own that material or have permission to use it. Do not upload another business's logo, confidential information, or material that infringes someone else's rights.

Acceptable use

You agree not to misuse the site or interfere with its normal operation.

  • Do not attempt to break, overload, scrape aggressively, or disrupt the site.
  • Do not use the site to publish or transmit harmful, unlawful, or misleading material.
  • Do not copy large portions of the site for republication without permission.

Intellectual property

The Food Cost Tools name, page content, calculator layouts, examples, guides, and original site materials are owned by Food Cost Tools unless otherwise noted. You may link to our pages and use the tools for your own planning, but you may not republish, resell, or present our content as your own without permission.

Third-party links

Some pages may link to third-party websites or resources. Those sites are controlled by their own owners, not Food Cost Tools. We are not responsible for third-party content, policies, products, or services.

Future advertising and affiliate disclosures

Food Cost Tools may display advertising, sponsorships, or links to related products and services. Promotional relationships will be labeled where required. Advertising does not change calculator formulas or the responsibility to verify a result.

Availability and changes to features

We may maintain, update, add, remove, or limit features to improve security, reliability, usability, or legal compliance. We will make reasonable efforts to avoid unnecessary disruption, but continuous or error-free availability is not guaranteed.

Limitation of liability

Food Cost Tools is provided as-is and as-available. To the fullest extent allowed by law, Food Cost Tools is not responsible for losses, damages, missed revenue, pricing mistakes, event planning issues, or business decisions made from using the site, calculators, examples, or guides.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as the site grows, new features are added, or policies change. The updated date near the top of this page will reflect the latest version. Continued use of the site means you accept the current terms.

Contact

Questions about these terms can be sent to hello@foodcosttools.com.