Food cost percentage calculator.
Enter ingredient cost and menu price for any dish — see food cost percentage, contribution margin, and whether you're in the healthy 28-32% range.
Dish economics
Defaults work for most small shops in the EU.
Food cost %
Food cost percentage — the single most-watched cafe number.
Food cost percentage is what your ingredients cost as a share of menu price (after VAT). Lower is better. Most cafes target 28-32%. Below 25% is unusual (and possibly under-portioning). Above 35% is a red flag — usually waste, theft, or under-pricing.
The formula
Food cost % = ingredient cost ÷ (menu price ÷ (1 + VAT))
The VAT step matters. A €3,40 menu price with 10% Austrian gastronomy VAT is really €3,09 in revenue — and that's what your €1,05 of ingredients gets measured against.
Healthy ranges by dish type
Coffee & drinks: 18-25%. Pastries: 25-32%. Hot food: 30-35%. Premium plates: 32-40%. If your cappuccino is at 35%, something's wrong — usually milk waste or a price that needs to move.
What to do when it's too high
Three levers: portion smaller (carefully — guests notice), source cheaper (carefully — quality notices), or raise the price. The third lever is the biggest one most owners avoid.