Lobster Roll Food Cost Calculator
A lobster roll is a premium seafood plate and the lobster meat is most of the cost, so a strict 30% target prices it well above the $29 to $38 many menus charge; most kitchens accept a 35% to 45% food cost on it instead.
This roll uses four ounces of cooked claw and knuckle meat bought picked, with mayonnaise, a butter-toasted split-top bun and chips; buying whole live lobster instead means costing it with a meat yield of about a quarter.
Editable example: quantities are a typical standard spec and prices are plausible US wholesale estimates, not supplier quotes or current market data. Replace them with your own.
Example ingredient spec
Purchase and usage quantities use the same unit named in each row. Batch portions: 1.
| Ingredient / unit | Purchase qty | Purchase cost ($) | Used | Yield % | Line cost ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooked lobster meat (oz) | 16 | 48.00 | 4 | 100 | 12.00 |
| Mayonnaise (oz) | 128 | 12.00 | 1 | 100 | 0.09 |
| Split-top bun (each) | 12 | 6.00 | 1 | 100 | 0.50 |
| Butter (oz) | 16 | 4.50 | 0.5 | 100 | 0.14 |
| Celery and lemon (oz) | 16 | 2.00 | 0.5 | 90 | 0.07 |
| Potato chips (oz) | 48 | 9.00 | 1.5 | 100 | 0.28 |
Example menu price
Example cost per plate: $13.09. At 30% food cost, the unrounded price is $43.62. Suggested price rounded up to the next $0.50: $44.00, giving 29.74% 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/lobster-roll