Stop Guessing.
Know Which Plates
Actually Make Money.
Cost a plate, price a pour, check your prime cost. Type your numbers and get a straight yes or no in under a minute. No signup, no card, nothing leaves your device.
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Barely. This is tight.
Find $1,200 a month and you are back in the safe zone.
- Food
- 33%
- Labour
- 29%
- Left over
- $22,800
Built for people who sell food and time
Watch a plate get costed
A real dish from the sample restaurant. Drag the beef price like your supplier just did, and the verdict changes in front of you.
Your supplier raises beef. Drag it and watch the plate.
- Ground beef$1.84
- Fries side (batch$0.71
- Brioche burger buns$0.64
- Mozzarella$0.43
- Romaine hearts$0.24
- Roma tomatoes$0.20
- Yellow onions$0.04
Priced right
Under your 30% target. $13.40 left on every plate.
- Plate cost
- $4.10
- Left over
- $13.40
- Should be
- $13.66
Same maths as the workspace. In there, every plate that uses beef updates at once.
Cost your own plateSix tools that share one set of numbers
Change a supplier price once and every plate, every drink and every menu verdict updates.
Ingredients
What you buy, pack size, price, waste. The one list every cost comes from.
Recipes & plates
Build dishes from ingredients. Cost per plate, food cost %, and the price you should charge.
Menu profit
Stars, plowhorses, puzzles, dogs. Which items earn, which to fix, which to drop.
Bar & drinks
Pour cost per cocktail, wine and beer. Bottle math for every pour size.
Supplier prices
Log each invoice. Get flagged when something creeps up. See which plates it hits.
Labour & prime cost
Weekly sales, food and labour. Prime cost under 60% is healthy; over 65% and you're bleeding.
Pick your trade. Move a slider. Get a verdict.
Restaurants, hotels, event planners and owner-operators each get their own workspace. Same idea every time: your numbers in, a plain answer out.
Every plate on the sample menu, placed by how well it sells and how much it leaves you. Tap a dot.
Star
High margin, sells well. Protect it: keep quality steady, feature it, never discount it.
- Left per plate
- $13.40
- Sold this period
- 530
Hotels & housekeeping
How many housekeepers tonight needs, how many minutes each room really gets, and what an occupied room costs you.
Wedding & event planners
Vendor costs vs what you bill, your hours, overhead. Profit per event, per guest and per hour you actually earn.
Owner-operator truckers
Your real cost per mile, then TAKE / NEGOTIATE / PASS on every load with the number to counter at.
What it looks like once your numbers are in
A real sample restaurant. Every plate costed, every price tracked, every verdict already made for you.
- StarClassic cheeseburger & fries$17.50 price · $4.10 cost · 23% food cost
- PlowhorseDraft lager, 16 oz$8.00 price · $2.03 cost · 25% food cost
- PuzzlePan-seared salmon, lemon butter$28.00 price · $7.38 cost · 26% food cost
- DogOld fashioned$13.00 price · $2.80 cost · 22% food cost
How it works
- Step 1
Add what you buy
Ten ingredients with pack size and price is enough to cost your first plate. Import a CSV price sheet if you have one.
- Step 2
Build your recipes
Pick ingredients, enter quantities. Cost per plate, food cost % and the right price appear as you type.
- Step 3
Watch the money
Add menu prices and units sold. See which dishes carry the place, and get warned when a supplier raises a price.
The numbers behind the verdicts, in plain English
Every rule the tools use, written out. Five minutes each, no jargon, maths shown.
Food cost percentage, explained in five minutes
What the number means, what a healthy range looks like, and why one point is worth more than you think.
ReadPrime cost: the one number that says if you survive
Food plus labour as a share of sales. Under 60% and you have room. Over 65% and the rent is eating you.
ReadMenu engineering: stars, plowhorses, puzzles and dogs
Sort every item by how much it makes you and how often it sells. Then do the one thing each box asks for.
ReadHow many housekeepers does tonight actually need?
Minutes per room, checkouts versus stayovers, and the one allowance most managers forget.
ReadHow much does a plate actually cost to make?
Every ingredient at what you pay per unit, times what goes on the plate, divided by plates in the batch. Then the price that protects your margin.
ReadCocktail pour cost calculator: what should a drink sell for?
Bottle cost divided by pours, plus everything else in the glass, against the price. Pour cost percentage decides.
ReadRestaurant prime cost calculator: are you under 60%?
Food plus labour, as a share of sales, for one period. The one number that says whether there is room for rent and profit.
ReadHow to quote catering per head without losing money
Food, staff hours, rentals and travel, then a target margin. The quote per head comes out of the total, not the other way round.
ReadTip pool calculator: split tips by hours and role
Hours times role points gives each person a weight. The pool is shared by weight. Everyone can check the maths.
ReadKeg cost per pint: how much profit is in one keg?
Usable ounces after foam and line cleaning, divided into pours, gives the real cost of a pint and the profit in the keg.
ReadDelivery app breakeven: what markup covers the 30% commission?
The commission comes off the top, then packaging. The markup that makes an app order earn what an in-house order earns.
ReadWhat is it costing you to not cost your menu?
Food cost drift, hours spent costing by hand, and the items nobody has costed. A conservative yearly number to argue with.
ReadWedding planner margin calculator: is this event worth your weekend?
Client budget against vendor costs, your hours at your rate and overhead. Margin in dollars and percent, and per guest.
ReadOpen bar buy list: how much alcohol for a wedding?
Two drinks the first hour, one an hour after, a buffer, then split by beer, wine and spirits into bottles.
ReadOwner-operator cost per km calculator
Fuel per km, maintenance per km, and every fixed cost spread over the km you really run. Any rate under it loses money.
ReadShould I take this load? TAKE / NEGOTIATE / PASS
Rate plus surcharge against all the km including deadhead at your cost per km. A verdict and the counter to ask for.
ReadHow much does a scoop of ice cream cost to serve?
Tub or mix cost by the litre, overrun, scoop size, then the cone or cup, topping and napkin. Cost per serving and the price at your target.
ReadRevPAR calculator: what is my hotel really earning per room?
Occupancy flatters you and ADR flatters you. RevPAR is the one that tells the truth.
ReadOTA commission calculator: how much does Booking.com really take?
The commission is only the start. What you keep from an OTA booking against a direct one, and what that gap is worth a year.
ReadRoom block pricing: how much should a hotel discount a wedding block?
A block is a promise of rooms you might never sell. Price the discount against attrition, not against the couple's smile.
ReadHow much does hotel breakfast really cost per guest?
Eggs, coffee and the pastry basket look cheap until you add the bin at half past ten and the person refilling it.
ReadAirbnb break-even calculator: how many nights do I need to book?
Before profit there is a number of nights that just pays the mortgage, the cleaner and the platform. Find it before you buy the second listing.
ReadAirbnb amenity cost calculator: what do toiletries and coffee cost per stay?
Shampoo, soap, pods and the welcome snack are small numbers that happen every single stay.
ReadHow to quote a wedding package without working for free
The quote has to carry every cost you pay, every hour you spend, and a margin on top. Most planners forget the middle one.
ReadBuffet vs plated: which is actually cheaper for a wedding?
Buffets need more food and fewer servers. Plated needs less food and more servers. Which wins depends on the guest count.
ReadHow many servers do you need for a wedding of 150?
Guests divided by a ratio, rounded up, plus a bartender per 75 and a captain per 8 servers. Then check what you bill covers it.
ReadHow much should a planner mark up rentals?
The markup pays for the hours you spend sourcing, changing and counting chairs. If it does not cover them, you are doing it for free.
ReadHow to price a wedding photography package
Eight hours on the day is the small part. The desk hours, the second shooter and the camera that wears out are the price.
ReadShould a DJ take this gig? TAKE / NEGOTIATE / PASS
Five hours on the decks is ten hours door to door. Price the ten, then decide.
ReadHow much does a latte cost to make?
Beans are the small part. Milk, the cup and the drinks poured out while dialling in are the rest.
ReadHow much milk is your café pouring down the sink?
Litres bought minus litres that reached a cup. The gap is real money every week.
ReadHow to price a custom cake so decorating hours get paid
Ingredients are a tenth of the price. The hours with the piping bag are the rest, and most bakers give them away.
ReadIs this festival worth it for a food truck? TAKE / NEGOTIATE / PASS
Pitch fee, the organiser's cut, and covers you can honestly expect. The answer is a number, not a feeling.
ReadDoes happy hour actually make money?
A discount pays only if it brings in enough extra drinks to cover the margin you gave away. Most do not.
ReadHow to set bar par levels and stop over-ordering
Par is the stock you need to reach the next delivery with a little in hand. Anything above it is cash on a shelf.
ReadHow to set a bottle service minimum that beats a normal night
A bottle table blocks seats all night. The minimum has to beat what those seats would have earned anyway.
ReadBar menu engineering: which drinks are stars, plowhorses, puzzles and dogs?
Every drink is either popular or not, and profitable or not. The four boxes tell you what to do with each one.
ReadFuel surcharge calculator: is the broker covering your diesel?
The linehaul rate was built on a diesel price. When diesel is higher, the surcharge is supposed to make up the difference. Check that it does.
ReadIFTA calculator: how much will I owe this quarter?
IFTA charges you tax where you drove, credits you tax where you bought. The bill is the difference. Estimate it before it lands.
ReadWhat people say after using it
Only real ones, posted with permission. Send yours and it lands with the person who builds this.
These tools are new. We would rather show an empty box than made-up quotes. The first real ones go here, with the person's permission.
Restaurant calculators
Instant answers, nothing to set up.
Plate Cost Calculator
Add ingredients, set your target food cost percentage, and get the menu price that protects your margin.
Cocktail Pour Cost Calculator
Bottle cost, pour size, garnish, and target pour cost in. Cost per drink, menu price, and margin out.
Labor + Prime Cost Calculator
Food cost plus labor cost against revenue. See your prime cost and whether it is under the 60% benchmark.
Catering Per-Head Quote
Guests, food per head, staff hours, rentals and travel in. A quote per head that protects your margin out.
Tip Pool Splitter
Split a shift's tips fairly by hours and role points. Every person's share and their tips per hour.
Keg Cost Per Pint
Keg cost and size, pour size and waste in. Cost per pour, pours per keg, pour cost % and profit per keg out.
Delivery App Breakeven
What a delivery-app order really earns after commission and packaging, and the markup that matches your in-house margin.
What Is It Costing You?
Food cost drift, hours costing by hand and never-costed menu items, turned into one yearly number. Drag the sliders to what you believe.
Coffee Cost per Cup
Beans, milk, cup and extras with waste, against the menu price. Cost per cup, cost %, and the price at your target.
Milk Waste Calculator
Litres bought against litres that reached a cup. What goes down the sink every week and every year.
Custom Cake Price Calculator
Ingredients, baking and decorating hours at your rate, packaging, overhead and profit. The price, per serving, and your real hourly.
Food Truck Festival: Worth It?
Pitch fee, organiser's cut, expected covers, food cost, staff and fuel against the profit you need. TAKE, NEGOTIATE or PASS.
Happy Hour Margin Calculator
Regular price, happy hour price, pour cost and the uplift you really get. Profit per happy hour against a normal hour.
Bar Par Levels & Order Sheet
Weekly usage, delivery cycle, lead time and safety stock. Par per product, what to order today, and what is sitting above par.
Bottle Service Minimum Spend
What the table earns on a normal night, dedicated service and mixers, with a premium. The minimum spend in whole bottles.
Menu Engineering Calculator
Sales and margin per drink. Stars, plowhorses, puzzles and dogs on your drink list, with what to do about each.
Ice Cream Cost per Serving
Tub cost, overrun and scoop size, then the cone or cup at ChickenPieces case prices, topping and extras. Cost per scoop and the price at your target.
All tools are free. After two calculations we ask for an email, once. No affiliate links.
These tools vs how you do it now
Every option here works. They just cost you different things.
| These tools | A spreadsheet | Restaurant software | Your accountant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to use | Free | Free | $100-400 a month | Billed by the hour |
| How fast you get an answer | While you type | When you finish building it | After setup and training | Weeks later |
| Tells you yes or no | Yes, in plain words | Only if you build the rules | Usually a report | Yes, after the fact |
| Shows you the formula | Every one | Yours to write | Hidden | On request |
| Setup before it is useful | None | Hours | Days | None |
| Where your numbers live | Your own browser | Your file | Their servers | Their office |
| Breaks when someone edits it | Cannot | Often | No | No |
These tools do not replace your accountant. It tells you where you stand between their visits.
Things people ask before they type in a number
If yours is not here, the answer is probably in the 'How this is calculated' box under each tool.
Is it really free?
Where do my numbers go?
How does it decide the verdict?
Can I use it on my phone?
What if my supplier changes a price?
Does it replace my accountant or my POS?
I am not a restaurant. Is there anything for me?
Cost your first plate in five minutes.
No account, no card, nothing to install. Start with the sample restaurant and swap in your own numbers whenever you like.