How to calculate plate cost
Most dishes are assembled from several preparations: a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a sauce and a garnish. Plate cost is the sum of one portion of each, plus anything else that leaves the kitchen with the dish. It is the number your food cost and menu price should be based on.
Worked example: chicken rice bowl for delivery
At a 30% target the bowl is just on target with $10.21 gross margin. Without the packaging line, the same bowl would look like 26.5%, three points better than reality. On delivery, packaging belongs in the plate cost.
Keep the component list in the same order as the plating so the line can check it at a glance, and update the plate cost whenever the recipe card changes. A plate cost that matches what the pass actually sends out is the only one worth pricing from.
Portion control is plate cost
Every component is costed at a set portion: 180 g of chicken, 40 ml of sauce. If the line serves 200 g, plate cost rises with it. Write the portion sizes on the recipe card, use scales and ladles of the right size, and plate a few dishes on a scale during service to check.
Where to look when plate cost is too high
- The protein is usually the biggest line. Check its yield with the yield calculator.
- Garnishes and sauces are small per plate but often over-portioned.
- Delivery packaging can be renegotiated or swapped for a cheaper container.
- If the cost is right and the margin is still thin, re-price with the menu price calculator.
Dine-in, takeaway and delivery are different plates
The same dish can have three plate costs. Dine-in may include bread and a garnish that delivery leaves out; delivery adds a container, a lid, a bag, cutlery and often sauces on the side. Delivery platforms also take a commission, which is not food cost but does come out of the same margin.
- Cost each channel separately if the packaging or the portion differs. Many cloud kitchens keep one recipe and one plate cost per channel.
- Price delivery on its own numbers. A dish that is comfortably on target in the dining room can drop under water once packaging and commission are added.
- Count the extras guests always take. Ketchup, chilli oil, napkins and wet wipes are cheap individually but are part of every order.
A quick check every few weeks keeps plate costs honest: pick five best sellers, weigh what actually goes on the plate during service, and compare it with the recipe card. Any gap shows up immediately in the plate cost.
In BrigadeKit each component is its own costed sub-recipe, so the plate cost of every dish updates automatically when the price of chicken, rice or containers changes.
FAQ
How often should I re-cost a plate?
Whenever the cost of a main component changes, when you change a portion or garnish, and at least once a quarter. Protein and packaging prices move most often.
What is a good plate cost for a cloud kitchen?
Many cloud kitchens aim for a food cost around 25–30% including packaging, because delivery commissions take a large share of the price. Set your target from your own commission and rent, not a generic number.
Should staff meals be part of plate cost?
No. Track staff meals separately as their own cost line. Mixing them into dish costs makes every plate look more expensive and hides where the money really goes.
How is plate cost different from recipe cost?
A recipe cost covers one preparation, like a batch of rice or a sauce. Plate cost adds up the portions of every preparation that goes on the plate, plus garnish and packaging, so it is the true cost of what you sell.
Should I include bread, condiments and free sides?
Yes, if every guest who orders the dish gets them. They are small per plate but add up across hundreds of covers.
How do I cost a component like a sauce?
Cost the sauce as a batch recipe, divide by the yield to get cost per ml, then multiply by the portion you serve. 40 ml of a sauce that costs $7.75 per litre is $0.31.
What should packaging add for delivery?
It depends on the container, but packaging commonly adds one to three points of food cost on delivery orders. Cost it per order and add it as an extra.