Menu Pricing Calculator - KNOW

KNOW - Menu Pricing Calculator

Menu Pricing Calculator

Take the guesswork out of pricing your dishes. Use our free Menu Pricing Calculator to find the right price that covers your costs, protects your margins, and keeps customers coming back.

Why Use a Menu Pricing Calculator?

Pricing your menu correctly is crucial for profitability—especially in competitive industries like restaurants, cloud kitchens, and food delivery. With rising ingredient prices, labor costs, and packaging expenses, it’s easy to undercharge without realizing it.

Our calculator helps you:

  1. Set data-driven menu prices
  2. Avoid underpricing or overpricing
  3. Adjust for delivery, packaging, and labor costs
  4. Protect your profit margins

Menu Pricing Pitfalls to Avoid (and How to Fix Them)

Red Flag

What It Means

What You Can Do

Low profit margin (<50%)

You’re barely breaking even

Increase price, reduce cost, or remove the item from your menu

High labor cost

Takes too long or too many hands to prepare

Streamline prep, simplify steps, or batch-process ingredients

Packaging eats into profit

Common with delivery and takeout

Use cost-effective packaging or add a small delivery fee

Ingredient cost fluctuations

Seasonal or supplier-related price changes

Review and update ingredient costs monthly

Suggested price > market price

May price out customers

Adjust your recipe or manage customer expectations through positioning

Pro Tip: Smart Pricing = Sustainable Growth

Restaurants that review menu pricing regularly see up to 15–20% better margins. Don’t let one underpriced dish drag down your entire P&L.

Make Better Menu Decisions with KNOW

KNOW helps restaurants and retail teams go beyond pricing. From digital checklists to food safety and employee training, our platform powers smarter daily operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I calculate the price of a dish?
Use our calculator by entering the cost of ingredients, labor time, packaging, and desired food cost percentage. It gives you a suggested selling price that ensures profitability.

2. What is a good food cost percentage?
Most restaurants aim for a food cost percentage between 25–35%, depending on cuisine, concept, and service type. Lower food costs mean higher margins, but too low might signal low quality.

3. Why does labor cost matter in menu pricing?
Labor is a major hidden cost. If a dish takes too long to prep, it eats into profits. Including labor helps you price more accurately.

4. How often should I review my menu prices?
Ideally, every 3–6 months. Ingredient costs, supplier rates, and customer expectations shift quickly, especially in delivery-focused businesses.

5. Can I use this calculator for cloud kitchens or QSRs?
Absolutely! It’s built for restaurants, cloud kitchens, QSRs, and even food trucks. Anywhere that serves food and wants to get pricing right.