Dish Costing Calculator

Most hospitality owners cost their dishes from the recipe. The recipe doesn't include waste, trim loss, or the salmon that went off on a slow Tuesday. That gap between recipe cost and true cost is where the margin disappears.

The Dish Costing Calculator gives you the real number — and tells you exactly what to charge.

WHAT'S INSIDE:

→ 15 ingredient rows per dish — enter quantity, unit, and cost per unit

→ Smart waste dropdown: 26 ingredient types with pre-loaded typical waste factors

  (Select "Fresh fish / seafood" → 18% fills automatically. Select "Avocado" → 28%.)

→ Override column if your kitchen tracks actual waste more precisely

→ Auto-calculates true food cost per portion including all waste

→ Recommended minimum sell price based on your target food cost %

→ Suggested sell price with a 10% buffer above minimum

→ Gross profit per cover at both prices

→ Dish Diagnosis: automatically assigns each dish as a Star, Plowhorse, Puzzle, or Dog

→ Dish Comparison sheet: cost all your dishes and see them side by side in one view

→ Detailed instructions for both owners and chefs — two separate step-by-step guides

TARGET FOOD COST BENCHMARKS BUILT IN:

Café: 25% · Restaurant: 30% · QSR: 28% · Default: 34%

WHO THIS IS FOR:

Any café or restaurant owner or chef who has never formally costed a dish including waste — or who suspects their food cost is too high but can't identify which dish is causing the damage.

FORMAT: Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) — works in Excel, Google Sheets, and Apple Numbers.

DELIVERY: Instant download — the file is sent to your email the moment payment is processed.

GUARANTEE: If you don't find this practical and useful, email info@clearmargingroup.com within 7 days for a full refund.

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