Food Truck Menu Pricing Calculator

Item pricing from food cost percentage and overhead.

Ingredient cost per item ($)

Target food cost (%)

Packaging cost ($)

Waste/spoilage (%)

Expected daily volume

Competitor price ($)

Tab to move between fields

Recommended menu price

$13.42

≈ 3 cups of coffee

Total plate cost$4.03

Gross profit per item$9.39

Food cost at competitor price33.5%

Daily revenue (this item)$1,073.33

Daily food cost (this item)$322.00

Daily gross profit$751.33

vs. competitor price$1.42

How to Use This Calculator

Enter the total ingredient cost per serving and your target food cost percentage (28–32% is industry standard).
Set packaging cost per serving and expected waste/spoilage percentage.
Enter expected daily volume and your competitor's price for a similar item.
The calculator shows recommended menu price, total plate cost, gross profit per item, food cost at competitor price, and daily revenue and profit for this item.
If recommended price exceeds competitor price, reduce ingredient cost or portion size to close the gap.

How the result changes with Target food cost (%)

Ingredient cost per item ($): Total raw ingredient cost for one serving.
Target food cost (%): Target food cost percentage. Industry standard: 28-32% for food trucks.
Packaging cost ($): Cost of container, utensils, napkins per serving.
Waste/spoilage (%): Expected food waste and spoilage percentage. Well-managed: 3-5%.
Expected daily volume: Number of this item sold per day.
Competitor price ($): What nearby trucks/restaurants charge for a similar item.

Recommended menu price: Price needed to hit your target food cost percentage.
Total plate cost: Ingredient cost (with waste) plus packaging per serving.
Gross profit per item: Revenue minus plate cost for each item sold.
Food cost at competitor price: Your actual food cost % if you match the competitor's price.
Daily revenue (this item): Projected daily revenue at recommended price.
Daily food cost (this item): Total daily ingredient and packaging cost.
Daily gross profit: Daily revenue minus food cost for this item.
vs. competitor price: How your calculated price compares to competitor. Negative = you're cheaper.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Ingredient cost per item ($) = 3.5, Target food cost (%) = 30, Packaging cost ($) = 0.35, Waste/spoilage (%) = 5 = 6 input(s) provided
Calculate Recommended menu price
Recommended menu price = plateCost / (targetFoodCostPct / 100)
13.42 = $13.42
Calculate Total plate cost
Total plate cost = adjustedIngredientCost + packagingCost
4.03 = $4.03
Calculate Gross profit per item
Gross profit per item = calculatedMenuPrice - plateCost
9.39 = $9.39