Paste recipe ingredients, get plate cost + suggested menu price at your target food cost %. The hero feature of $330/mo MarginEdge, free.
1. Recipe ingredients (one per line)
Format: quantity · ingredient · $cost. Cost is what you pay (not what guest pays).
2. Plate setup
plate(s)
% (NYC standard 25-32%)
%
SUGGESTED MENU PRICE
$16.61
at 28% food cost · plate cost $4.65
Raw ingredient cost
$4.43
With 5% yield loss
$4.65
Plate cost (per plate)
$4.65
Margin per plate
$11.96
100 PLATES / WEEK PROFIT
$1,196
What's a healthy food cost % in NYC?
25-32% is standard for sit-down restaurants. Fast-casual aims 28-30%, fine dining 32-38%. Below 25% = pricing power (or you're underbuying); above 35% = margin trouble.
Why include yield loss?
Real-world prep loses 5-15% to trim, waste, spoilage, theft, comps. Pricing only on raw cost = underpricing by 5-15%.
What about labor + overhead?
Food cost is only ONE component of prime cost (food + labor). Add 28-32% labor + 15-20% other costs to get full break-even. This tool just handles the food side.
How does this compare to MarginEdge / Restaurant365?
Those tools sync your POS + invoices automatically. We don't. But the core math (recipe cost % × yield) is the same — and free.