Percy Plate is a web-based food cost calculator for food trucks, caterers, cottage food producers, and small restaurant owners. It lets you enter your ingredients and what you pay for them, build recipes, and instantly see the cost per serving and recommended sell price based on your target food cost percentage.

Yes. Percy Plate has a free plan that lets you create up to 10 ingredients and 5 recipes to calculate food cost. A paid subscription ($14.99/month or $119.99/year) unlocks unlimited ingredients and recipes plus inventory tracking, revenue reporting, menu engineering, Prime Cost, AI invoice scanning, FDA nutrition facts labels, FDA ingredient labels, and label printing.

How does Percy Plate calculate food cost?

You enter each ingredient, the unit you buy it in (lb, oz, gallon, etc.), and what you pay per unit. When you build a recipe, Percy Plate converts the recipe quantities to your purchase units, calculates the cost of each ingredient used, and divides by the number of servings to give you a cost per serving. It also shows the food cost percentage and a suggested sell price.

Can Percy Plate generate nutrition facts labels?

Yes. Percy Plate can look up nutrition data from the USDA FoodData Central database for each ingredient, then automatically calculate the per-serving nutrition for a recipe. It generates an FDA-format Nutrition Facts panel that can be printed directly to thermal labels (Brother, Dymo, Zebra) or Avery sheet labels in sizes 2x4 inch and 3.33x4 inch.

Can Percy Plate generate an ingredient list label?

Yes. Percy Plate generates an FDA-compliant ingredient label that lists ingredients by weight (heaviest first), automatically detects the top 9 FDA allergens, and includes your business name and net weight. Labels can be printed to thermal printers or Avery sheet labels.

What label printers work with Percy Plate?

Percy Plate supports thermal label printers including Brother QL series (DK-1202 2x4 inch labels), Dymo LabelWriter (30334 and similar), and Zebra desktop printers. It also supports Avery 5163 (2x4 inch) and Avery 5164 (3.33x4 inch) sheet labels for standard desktop printers.

Who is Percy Plate designed for?

Percy Plate is designed for small food business owners including food truck operators, cottage food producers, caterers, small restaurant owners, and anyone who sells homemade or prepared food and needs to track ingredient costs, price their menu, and produce product labels.

Does Percy Plate work on mobile?

Yes. Percy Plate is a web application that works on any device with a modern browser, including phones and tablets. You can look up ingredient costs, update recipe quantities, and check your food cost percentage from anywhere.

How do you calculate food cost percentage?

Food cost percentage = (ingredient cost per serving ÷ menu price) × 100. For example, if your ingredients cost $3.50 and you sell the dish for $12.00, your food cost percentage is 29.2%. Most food businesses target 28–35%. To set a price from a target, divide ingredient cost by your target: $3.50 ÷ 0.30 = $11.67 suggested price at 30% food cost.

What is a good food cost percentage for a small food business or bakery?

Most food businesses target a food cost percentage between 28% and 35%. Bakeries and cottage food producers often achieve lower food cost percentages (20–28%) because flour, sugar, and butter are inexpensive relative to retail prices. Full-service restaurants tend to run 30–35%. The right target depends on your labor costs, overhead, and pricing power in your market.

How do I calculate the cost per serving of a recipe?

Add up the ingredient cost for the full batch, then divide by the number of servings. For each ingredient, multiply the quantity used by the cost per unit (converting units as needed). For example: 8 oz flour at $0.89/lb = $0.89 ÷ 16 × 8 = $0.44. Sum all ingredient costs, then divide by servings. Percy Plate does this calculation automatically once you enter your ingredient prices and recipe quantities.

How does yield percentage affect recipe costing?

Yield percentage accounts for trim loss, cooking shrinkage, and waste. If you buy 1 lb of chicken but only 0.75 lb is usable after trimming, your yield is 75%. To get accurate food costs, divide the as-purchased cost by the yield percentage: $4.00/lb ÷ 0.75 = $5.33 per usable pound. Percy Plate lets you set a yield percentage (AP to EP) on any ingredient so your recipe costs reflect what you actually use.

What is the best recipe costing software for a small food business?

The best recipe costing software for a small food business depends on your needs. Percy Plate ($14.99/month) is built specifically for cottage food producers, food trucks, caterers, and small restaurants — it includes recipe costing, menu pricing, FDA ingredient labels, nutrition facts labels, inventory tracking, and revenue reporting. Competitors like meez start at $24/month and scale to $199/month. Square and Toast do not include recipe costing natively.

Is there free recipe costing software for home bakers or cottage food businesses?

Yes. Percy Plate has a free plan that includes recipe food cost calculation and menu pricing suggestions. The free plan lets you create up to 10 ingredients and 5 recipes. For unlimited recipes, FDA labels, nutrition facts, and inventory tracking, the paid plan is $14.99/month or $119.99/year. No credit card is required to start.

How do I price homemade baked goods to make a profit?

Start with your ingredient cost per batch, then divide by the number of units to get ingredient cost per item. Add packaging (boxes, bags, labels) as a per-unit cost. Then set a target food cost percentage — most cottage food bakers aim for 25–35% — and divide your total ingredient cost by that percentage to get a minimum price. For example: $0.85 ingredient cost per cookie ÷ 0.30 = $2.83 minimum price at 30% food cost. Factor in your time and overhead to ensure you are actually profitable, not just covering ingredients.

What are the labeling requirements for cottage food products?

Most states require cottage food labels to include: (1) the product name, (2) your name and home address, (3) a list of ingredients in descending order by weight, (4) a disclosure statement such as 'Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the state or local health department,' and (5) allergen declarations for any of the 9 major FDA allergens present. Some states also require net weight. Requirements vary by state — check your state's cottage food law for specifics. Nutrition Facts panels are generally not required for cottage food operations below a certain revenue threshold.

Do I need a nutrition facts label on my cottage food products?

Most cottage food producers are exempt from FDA Nutrition Facts label requirements under the small business exemption (fewer than 100 full-time employees and fewer than 100,000 units sold annually). However, you must still list ingredients in descending order by weight and declare all major allergens. Some states impose additional requirements. When in doubt, check your state's cottage food law and the FDA's small business labeling exemptions.

What allergens must I disclose on a homemade food label?

FDA requires disclosure of 9 major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. These must be declared on all food labels, including cottage food products — even if a full Nutrition Facts panel is not required. The standard format is a 'Contains:' statement after the ingredient list, for example: 'Contains: Wheat, Eggs, Milk.' Percy Plate detects all 9 allergens automatically from your ingredient names.

How do I create a nutrition facts label for homemade food?

To create a Nutrition Facts label for homemade food: (1) look up the nutrition data for each ingredient using the USDA FoodData Central database, (2) calculate the per-serving amounts for calories, fat, carbohydrates, protein, sodium, and other nutrients, (3) format the panel according to FDA guidelines with serving size, servings per container, and daily value percentages. Percy Plate automates this — it looks up USDA nutrition data for your ingredients, calculates per-serving totals, and generates a print-ready FDA-format Nutrition Facts label for thermal or sheet labels.

How do I list ingredients in the correct order on a food label?

FDA regulations require ingredients to be listed in descending order by weight — the ingredient present in the greatest amount by weight must appear first. For example, if your muffin contains more flour than sugar, flour must be listed first. Sub-ingredients (like those in a chocolate chip) must be listed in parentheses immediately after the component. Percy Plate sorts ingredients automatically by weight when generating your label.

What information is required on a homemade food product label?

A complete homemade food label generally requires: (1) the name of the food, (2) the net quantity (weight or count), (3) an ingredient list in descending order by weight, (4) allergen declarations for all 9 major FDA allergens, (5) your business name and address, and (6) for cottage food specifically, a state-required disclosure statement such as 'Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the state health department.' Nutrition Facts panels are usually optional for small cottage food producers below certain revenue thresholds.

By Heidi Macomber · July 9, 2026 (updated July 28, 2026)

How to Cost Out a Catering Job: A Calculator-Style Walkthrough

Catering food costs should run 25-30% of your contract price, but most caterers don't know their real number because catering math is harder than restaurant math. You're buying for 200 people, not one plate. Servings vary. Buffet waste is unpredictable. Here's how to calculate catering food costs accurately for every job you quote.

Why Catering Food Cost Is Different

In a restaurant or food truck, you cost out individual plates and multiply by orders sold. Catering works in reverse: you're quoting a total price for a group before you've cooked anything, which means you need to know your per-person food cost before you can set the price.

The formula is the same, but the scale changes everything:

Catering Food Cost Percentage = (Total Ingredient Cost for the Event / Total Contract Price) x 100

Step-by-Step: Costing a 100-Person Catering Job

Let's walk through a real example: a wedding buffet for 100 guests, chicken and beef options, two sides, salad, and rolls.

1. Build Your Recipes for the Headcount

For each menu item, calculate the total ingredient cost at the serving quantity you need:

Menu Item	Per-Person Cost	x 100 Guests	Subtotal
Grilled chicken (6 oz portion)	$2.40	100	$240.00
Sliced beef (5 oz portion)	$3.50	100	$350.00
Mixed green salad	$0.75	100	$75.00
Roasted potatoes	$0.60	100	$60.00
Green beans	$0.50	100	$50.00
Dinner rolls (2 per person)	$0.30	100	$30.00
Butter	$0.05	100	$5.00
Total food cost			$810.00

Per-person food cost: $810 / 100 = $8.10 per guest

2. Add a Buffer for Buffet Waste and Overages

Buffet service means people take more than a standard portion. Industry standard is to add 5-10% for buffet overage:

$810 x 1.08 (8% buffer) = $875 total food cost

Per-person adjusted cost: $8.75

3. Calculate Your Quote Using Target Food Cost Percentage

Most caterers target 25-30% food cost. Let's use 28%:

Contract Price = Total Food Cost / Target Food Cost Percentage

$875 / 0.28 = $3,125

Per-person price: $3,125 / 100 = $31.25 per guest

4. Sanity-Check Against Market Rates

Before sending the quote, compare to what other caterers in your area charge. If $31.25 per person for a two-protein buffet is below your local market, you can raise the price: which lowers your food cost percentage and increases margin.

If $31.25 is above market, you either need to negotiate lower ingredient costs, adjust the menu (drop beef, add pasta), or accept a higher food cost percentage for this job.

Catering Food Cost Benchmarks by Event Type

Event Type	Target Food Cost %	Notes
Wedding (plated)	25-28%	Higher quality, precise portions
Wedding (buffet)	28-32%	More waste, larger portions
Corporate lunch	25-30%	Standardized menus, less waste
Drop-off catering	22-27%	No service staff, lower overhead
BBQ / casual	30-35%	Expensive proteins, casual portions

The Hidden Costs Caterers Forget

Disposable serviceware. Plates, forks, cups, serving utensils, chafing dishes (if renting). Budget $1.50-3.00 per person.
Garnishes and presentation. Lemon wedges, parsley, sauce drizzles. Small per serving, significant across 100+ plates.
Staff meal. Your team needs to eat. Factor in 3-5 servings at your own food cost.
Leftovers. If you prepare for 100 and only 90 show up, you've overcooked. Track actual vs. expected attendance to improve future estimates.
Gas and equipment wear. Not a food cost, but it eats into the margin if you don't account for it in your overall pricing.

Track Every Job to Improve Over Time

The most profitable caterers track food cost percentage on every event and compare to their benchmark. Over time, they learn which event types, venues, and menu items are most profitable: and they stop quoting the ones that lose money.

This is where a food cost calculator pays for itself. Instead of rebuilding spreadsheets for every quote, you maintain your ingredient prices, build reusable recipes, and scale them to any headcount instantly.

Percy Plate lets you store recipes, scale them to any serving count, and see per-person food costs and target pricing in seconds. Free to start: cost your next catering job before you quote it.

Related Guides

Recipe Costing 101: How to Cost Out Any Recipe for Profit — Foundation recipe costing skills
Plate Costing: How to Cost a Plate Down to the Cent (Without Losing Your Mind) — Per-serving costing method
How to Cost a Plate of Food: The Complete Guide — Complete plate costing walk-through
Cost Per Portion: The Formula Every Food Business Needs (With Examples) — Per-person portion cost math

Stop guessing what your dishes cost.

Percy Plate calculates recipe costs, menu prices, and FDA-compliant labels for food businesses. Free to start.

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View this article in the app: https://percyplate.com/blog/catering-food-cost-calculator