Pad Thai Food Cost Calculator
This shrimp pad thai uses peeled shrimp, so its seafood price should be compared with a peeled product rather than a cheaper shell-on case that loses weight during preparation.
Dry rice noodles expand during soaking and cooking, but the purchase cost still follows dry weight; prepared tamarind sauce includes its seasonings, and peanuts, sprouts and lime complete the plated portion.
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 ($) | Used | Yield % | Line cost ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry rice noodles (oz) | 16 | 2.00 | 3 | 100 | 0.38 |
| Peeled shrimp (oz, raw) | 16 | 6.00 | 4 | 100 | 1.50 |
| Egg (each) | 30 | 6.00 | 1 | 100 | 0.20 |
| Prepared pad thai sauce (oz) | 32 | 5.00 | 2 | 100 | 0.31 |
| Bean sprouts (oz) | 16 | 1.50 | 2 | 95 | 0.20 |
| Peanuts (oz) | 16 | 2.00 | 0.5 | 100 | 0.06 |
| Cooking oil (oz) | 128 | 12.00 | 0.4 | 100 | 0.04 |
| Lime wedge (each) | 8 | 0.50 | 1 | 100 | 0.06 |
Example menu price
Example cost per plate: $2.75. At 30% food cost, the unrounded price is $9.16. Suggested price rounded up to the next $0.50: $9.50, giving 28.92% 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/pad-thai