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 15, 2026 (updated July 28, 2026)

How to Track Food Waste and Stop Losing Money in Your Food Business

Untracked food waste adds 2-5% to your food cost -- the difference between a profitable month and a losing one. A simple waste tracking system takes 2 minutes per day and pays for itself in the first week. Here is how to set one up and what patterns to look for.

The Real Cost of Food Waste

Food waste is invisible. It does not show up on a receipt or an invoice. But it shows up in your food cost percentage -- the gap between what you think you are spending and what you are actually spending.

Consider a food truck doing $8,000/week in sales with a theoretical food cost of 28%. That is $2,240 in ingredients. But if 4% of food is wasted, your actual food cost jumps to 32% -- an extra $320 per week, or $16,640 per year.

That is a part-time employee. Or a new piece of equipment. Or profit in your pocket.

Where Food Waste Happens

Food waste occurs in five stages. Knowing where yours happens is the first step to fixing it.

1. Ordering Waste (Over-Purchasing)

You buy more than you need because you are afraid of running out. Perishables spoil before you use them. This is the most common waste source for food trucks and caterers.

2. Prep Waste (Trim and Yield Loss)

Peeling, trimming, deboning, and portioning all produce waste. Some is unavoidable (you cannot eat an onion skin). But excessive trim loss often means your yield assumptions are wrong or your prep staff need training.

3. Cooking Waste (Burns, Errors, Quality Rejections)

A burnt batch of fries. A sauce that broke. A pizza that came out wrong. Each one is ingredient cost with zero revenue.

4. Service Waste (Over-Portioning)

Your recipe says 4 oz of cheese. The cook uses 6 oz. The customer gets more food than you planned for. Your portion cost goes up without you knowing.

5. Leftover Waste (Unsold Product)

You prepped for 200 servings. Only 150 showed up. The extra 50 portions go in the trash at the end of the day.

How to Build a Waste Tracking System

You do not need fancy software. A clipboard and a simple form work perfectly.

The Waste Log

Date	Item	Quantity	Reason	Cost	Initials
7/1	Chicken breast	2 lb	Expired (over-ordered)	$7.00	JM
7/1	French fries	3 portions	Burned	$3.60	TS
7/2	Lettuce	1 bag	Wilted	$4.50	JM
7/2	Burger patties	4	Dropped	$5.60	TS
7/3	Cheese	0.5 lb	Over-portioned	$3.00	--

Keep the log in the kitchen. Train every staff member to log waste immediately. Do not make it punitive -- the goal is data, not blame.

Track for Two Weeks, Then Analyze

After 10-14 days, sort the log by reason. Patterns emerge fast:

"Expired" appears frequently? You are over-ordering. Reduce order quantities or buy more frequently.
"Burned" or "error" clusters around one person? Training opportunity, not discipline.
"Over-portioned" on specific items? The cook does not have the right tool. Buy portion cups or a digital scale.
"Dropped" near the pass? Workflow issue. Rethink the plating station layout.
One ingredient keeps appearing? Check the supplier. Bad produce arrives bad.

Quantifying Your Waste

Assign a cost to every logged item using your ingredient cost per unit. At the end of each week, total it up:

Week	Total Waste Cost	% of Food Cost	Trend
Week 1	$127.50	3.2%	Baseline
Week 2	$98.00	2.5%	Down (awareness)
Week 3	$72.00	1.8%	Down (fixes applied)
Week 4	$65.00	1.6%	Stabilized

In this example, tracking and fixing waste saved $62.50/week -- $3,250/year -- just by paying attention and making small adjustments.

The Variance Number That Tells the Truth

The most powerful metric in food cost management is food cost variance: the gap between your theoretical food cost (what recipes say you should spend) and your actual food cost (what inventory counts say you actually spent).

Variance = Actual Food Cost % - Theoretical Food Cost %

0-2%: Excellent. Waste, theft, and portion drift are under control.
2-4%: Normal. Some waste is inevitable. Minor improvements possible.
4-6%: Warning. Significant waste, over-portioning, or pricing errors.
6%+: Critical. You are losing substantial money. Possible theft, major waste, or recipe costing errors.

The variance number is the single best indicator of operational health in a food business. If you track nothing else, track this.

How Technology Helps

A waste log on a clipboard costs nothing and delivers 70% of the benefit. The remaining 30% comes from connecting waste data to your recipe costs and sales data:

Actual vs theoretical variance calculated automatically (no manual inventory math)
Waste trends visible over time by ingredient, station, and staff member
Menu items flagged when their actual cost consistently exceeds theoretical
Purchasing recommendations based on actual usage vs. waste patterns

Percy Plate handles all of this. You log waste the same way -- on your phone instead of a clipboard -- and the system calculates variance, flags problem items, and adjusts your actual food cost in real time.

Start tracking your waste today at percyplate.com -- free to start, no credit card required.

Related Guides

How to Reduce Food Waste in a Restaurant Without Alienating Customers — Strategies to cut waste without shrinking portions
Restaurant Inventory Management: PAR Levels, Counting, and the System That Stops Waste — Inventory system that stops waste
Actual vs. Theoretical Food Cost: Formula & Variance — Variance between expected and actual cost
The Par Level Formula: How to Stop Running Out (and Stop Overordering) — Ordering discipline with par levels

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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