Question 1

How do I use this recipe costing calculator?

Accepted Answer

Add each dish, choose its category and enter its selling price. The calculator shows the target cost range that dish should hit to stay within a healthy food-cost percentage for its category, instantly, with no download or signup.

Question 2

What food cost percentage should each dish have?

Accepted Answer

These are tighter target ranges typical of well-run multi-site groups: drinks 16–18%, starters 23–28%, mains 21–28% and desserts 20–23% of selling price. They are orientation ranges, not a rule; your real target depends on your concept, market and recipe.

Question 3

Is this a downloadable recipe costing template?

Accepted Answer

No, and that's deliberate. A downloadable spreadsheet is out of date the moment a price changes. This calculator gives you the answer live, and tSpoonLab takes it further by costing every recipe from your real purchase prices.

Question 4

How is target cost different from real cost?

Accepted Answer

Target cost is what a dish should cost to hit a healthy margin, based on its selling price. Real cost is what it actually costs you, every ingredient at its real price, with yields and sub-recipes. tSpoonLab calculates the real cost and compares it to your target.

Question 5

Can I cost my whole menu like this?

Accepted Answer

This calculator gives you a quick target per dish. To cost your full menu accurately, with sub-recipes, yields, waste and live supplier prices across every location, tSpoonLab turns each recipe into a connected cost model.