Labor + Prime Cost Calculator
Food cost plus labor cost against revenue. See your prime cost and whether it is under the 60% benchmark.
COGS for the period: purchases ± inventory change.
Wages, salaries, payroll taxes, benefits — for the same period.
Sales after discounts and comps, before tax.
How this is calculated
Food cost % = food + beverage cost ÷ revenue.
Labor cost % = total labor cost ÷ revenue.
Prime cost % = food % + labor %. Industry bands: green under 60%, amber 60-65%, red over 65%.
Use the same period for all three numbers (a week or a month). Mixing periods is the #1 way this gets wrong.
Prices are before GST/HST. Add tax on top of the price shown, never inside your margin. Estimates, not advice.
Barely. This is tight
Watch zone. 60-65% is survivable but thin. Find 2-3 points in labor scheduling or menu pricing.
- Food cost %
- 29.5%
- Labor cost %
- 31.6%
- Prime cost $
- $58,000
- Left for everything else
- $37,000
Every point of prime cost over 60%, on a year of this revenue, halved. Zero means you are under the line.
Save in workspaceThe printable worksheets, templates, and benchmarks behind this calculator. $29, one-time.
Want this saved, with your real numbers?
One ingredient list feeds every plate, the menu, the bar and labour. Change a supplier price and every plate re-costs. Saved on this device, free.
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