Burger Food Cost Calculator
This cheeseburger plate includes a six-ounce raw beef patty and fries, so comparing it with a burger-only food cost would hide a meaningful part of the serving cost.
The patty is costed by raw weight at full yield because cooking shrink does not require extra beef to meet a cooked-weight promise; lettuce is adjusted for trimming instead.
Editable example: quantities are a typical standard spec and prices are plausible US wholesale estimates, not supplier quotes or current market data. Replace them with your own.
Example ingredient spec
Purchase and usage quantities use the same unit named in each row. Batch portions: 1.
| Ingredient / unit | Purchase qty | Purchase cost ($) | Used | Yield % | Line cost ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef (oz, raw) | 16 | 4.00 | 6 | 100 | 1.50 |
| Bun (each) | 12 | 5.40 | 1 | 100 | 0.45 |
| Cheddar (oz) | 16 | 3.20 | 1 | 100 | 0.20 |
| Lettuce (oz, trimmed) | 16 | 1.20 | 0.5 | 75 | 0.05 |
| Tomato (oz) | 16 | 1.60 | 1 | 95 | 0.11 |
| Sauce (oz) | 32 | 4.00 | 0.75 | 100 | 0.09 |
| Frozen fries (oz) | 80 | 6.00 | 5 | 100 | 0.38 |
| Frying oil allocation (oz) | 128 | 12.00 | 0.3 | 100 | 0.03 |
Example menu price
Example cost per plate: $2.80. At 30% food cost, the unrounded price is $9.34. Suggested price rounded up to the next $0.50: $9.50, giving 29.50% actual ingredient cost.
These example prices exclude labor, overhead and tax. The ingredient table and suggestion describe the starting spec; edit the calculator to cost your own version.
Formula
Ingredient cost = purchase cost ÷ purchase quantity × quantity used ÷ (yield % ÷ 100). Plate cost = total ingredient cost ÷ portions.
More to cost
Calculated free at thehospitalityinsider.com/food-cost/burger