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 25, 2026 (updated July 28, 2026)

Restaurant Inventory Management: PAR Levels, Counting, and the System That Stops Waste

Restaurant inventory is where money hides. Too much and you are wasting cash on spoilage. Too little and you 86 menu items and lose sales. Here is how to build a system that keeps both from happening.

What Is Restaurant Inventory Management?

Inventory management is the process of tracking every ingredient and supply that enters your kitchen, from the moment it arrives at the loading dock to the moment it is used or thrown away. The goal is simple: know exactly what you have, what you need, and what is costing you money.

A good inventory system answers three questions at all times:

What do I have on hand right now?
What do I need to order in the next 24 to 72 hours?
What am I losing to waste, theft, or over-portioning?

What Are PAR Levels?

A PAR level (Periodic Automatic Replacement) is the minimum quantity of an ingredient you must have on hand to operate normally between deliveries. When your count drops below PAR, you order more.

Setting PAR levels correctly requires knowing two numbers:

Daily usage rate -- how much of each item you use per day on average
Lead time -- how many days between placing an order and receiving it

Your PAR for any item is: daily usage x (lead time + safety buffer days)

For example, if you use 5 lbs of chicken breast per day, your supplier delivers every 3 days, and you keep a 2-day safety buffer, your PAR is 5 x (3 + 2) = 25 lbs.

How to Count Inventory Properly

Count inventory the same way every time. Inconsistency is the enemy.

Use the shelf-to-sheet method. Start at one end of the walk-in, walk down the line, and record what you see. Do not go from the clipboard to the shelf -- you will miss things.

Count in the same units you order in. If you order flour by the 50 lb bag, count it by the bag and estimate partial bags in decimals (0.5 bag = 25 lbs). Converting units during counting introduces errors.

Two people, one clipboard. One counts, one writes. This cuts errors dramatically and takes half the time.

Count at the same time. Ideally end of day on the same day each week. This gives you a consistent snapshot for comparison.

The Weekly Inventory Cycle

Monday morning: Place your order based on PAR levels and the week's projected sales.

Thursday: Order received. Verify against invoice. Mark discrepancies immediately.

Sunday night: Full physical count. Enter into your spreadsheet or software. Calculate usage for the week.

Monday morning: Compare actual usage vs. theoretical usage (from your recipe costs). The difference is your variance -- and variance is where your money is leaking.

What Good Inventory Software Does

A spreadsheet works when you have 20 items. At 100+ items, you need software that:

Tracks usage trends over time so you can adjust PAR levels seasonally
Flags items with high variance (potential waste or theft)
Generates order guides automatically based on PAR levels
Integrates with your recipe costing so theoretical vs. actual is calculated automatically

Percy Plate does exactly this. When you cost your recipes and track your inventory in the same system, the variance calculation is automatic. You see exactly which ingredients are bleeding money and by how much.

Common Inventory Mistakes

Counting too infrequently. Monthly counts are too slow. By the time you find a problem, you have lost four weeks of margin. Weekly is the minimum.

Not tracking partial containers. A half-full bottle of olive oil is still $8 of product. Eye-level estimation leads to hundred-dollar swings.

Ignoring non-food inventory. Paper goods, cleaning supplies, and to-go containers are real costs. Track them.

No prep-level tracking. If you prep 40 portions of salsa on Tuesday but only sell 15 by Friday, that is waste you would never see with order-level inventory alone.

The ROI of Good Inventory

Restaurants that count weekly and track variance typically reduce food cost by 2 to 4 percentage points within 90 days. On $500,000 in annual food sales, that is $10,000 to $20,000 recovered.

The time investment is 2 to 4 hours per week for a mid-size kitchen. The return is the highest of any operational change you can make.

Related Guides

The Par Level Formula: How to Stop Running Out (and Stop Overordering) — The par level formula explained
Restaurant Inventory Management and Par Levels: A Practical Guide — Practical inventory and par level setup
How to Track Food Waste and Stop Losing Money — Track waste to protect food cost
Supplier Price Tracking: How to Stop Overpaying for Ingredients Without Changing Vendors — Track supplier prices and stop overpaying

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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