Restaurant management guide
Food-cost percentage is a starting point, not an explanation.
The basic formula is recorded food cost divided by food revenue, multiplied by 100. A reliable decision also needs the operational drivers behind both numbers.
A lower percentage is not automatically better: menu mix, pricing, portions, quality and demand all matter.
Reviewed: 5 September 2026
Dish-level formula
Ingredient cost ÷ selling price × 100. Use current usable-yield cost and recipe quantity; do not silently treat a missing recipe as zero cost.
Period formula
Recorded cost of food sold ÷ corresponding food revenue × 100. Keep the revenue and cost period, location and category consistent.
Why the ratio changes
Supplier prices, portions, yields, waste, menu mix, discounts, refunds and incomplete records can all move the result.
- ✓ Compare supplier price history
- ✓ Check recipe and portion changes
- ✓ Separate waste reasons
- ✓ Review product mix and discounts
How RestoVector connects it
In Full Cost Control, completed dishes use recipes to create ingredient outflows and recorded cost. Purchases, waste and price history provide the evidence needed to investigate the movement.
Related product
Connect food cost to restaurant profitability
See how RestoVector connects dish cost, sales, purchasing, waste and inventory with the operating result they influence.
Next step
Review the workflow with your restaurant's data and roles.
A demonstration should show the real product, its limits and how it fits your operation.