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Calculate the selling price of a dish in seconds

Calculate the recommended PVP of any recipe based on the cost per serving and the target food cost percentage, with VAT, margin and equivalent multiplier. Designed for hospitality professionals who want to make every dish profitable without errors.

Recommended menu price

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Price before VAT

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Gross margin

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Equivalent multiplier: —

Rule of thumb: 33% food cost ≈ cost ×3.

This calculator gives you the exact price of a dish; with Miselup you keep the costing of the entire menu alive and control profitability in real time. Create your account

See it inside

The real product, not a mockup

Explore the catalog, recipe costing, HACCP controls and traceability in Miselup.

  • Your business at a glance

    A dashboard with your activity, costs and alerts in one screen.

  • Ingredient catalogue

    1,200+ ingredients with cost, units and allergens.

  • Ingredient sheet

    Price per unit, allergens, conversions and supplier.

  • Sub-recipes

    Nested sub-recipes that recost themselves when a price changes.

  • Final preparations

    Dishes, drinks, desserts or trays: everything you sell, ready to cost.

  • Food-cost to the cent

    Cost, waste and margin of the final preparation in real time.

  • Export to professional PDF

    Technical sheet and food-cost ready to print or send.

  • Techniques

    Your library of techniques, with photos and steps.

  • Equipment & tableware

    Your production space's tools and equipment inventory.

  • Controls in the portal

    Configured controls, reading status and access to the form. Documentary records needing attachments are entered in management.

  • Measurement and corrective action

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Calculating the selling price of a dish is the most repeated —and worst executed— operation in hospitality. It consists of setting a PVP that covers the cost of raw materials, overheads and the desired margin, while respecting the target food cost (usually between 25% and 35%). A mistake of 50 cents per menu can mean more than €3,000 in lost margin per year in a business with 50 daily services.

The calculation gives you a PVP without VAT and another with 10% VAT included (the most common rate in foodservice), as well as the gross margin in euros and the equivalent multiplier. With this data you decide whether the dish is commercially viable, whether you need to adjust the recipe or whether the price fits within the average ticket of your establishment. It's not just a number: it's a strategic decision that protects the bottom line.

How to use it

How to use the calculator

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1. Enter the actual cost per serving

Add the cost of all ingredients for one serving, including waste, oil and garnishes. If you haven't costed it yet, start with a realistic figure.

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2. Define your target food cost

Enter the percentage of raw material cost over the selling price you want to achieve. Most profitable businesses fall between 28% and 32%.

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3. Analyze the results instantly

You'll get the PVP without VAT, the final PVP with 10% VAT, the gross margin per dish and the equivalent multiplier, ready to apply or compare.

Benchmarks

Industry benchmarks

Ideal food cost: 25-35%

Below 25% may mean the dish is perceived as expensive for the quality offered; above 35%, it barely leaves margin to cover staff, rent and other expenses.

Pour cost for beverages: 18-24%

For wines and spirits, a controlled pour cost between 18% and 24% allows you to maintain cellar profitability without inflating the beverage menu prices.

Usual multiplier: 3.0 - 3.7

In traditional cooking, a factor between 3.0 and 3.5 is often applied to the raw material cost. This multiplier equates to a food cost of approximately 28% to 33%.

VAT in foodservice: 10%

The general VAT rate for hospitality in Spain is 10%, except for high-proof alcoholic beverages (21%). Our calculator applies 10% by default.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Calculate the selling price of a dish in seconds

How to calculate the selling price of a food dish?
Divide the cost per serving by the target food cost as a decimal. For example, if a dish costs €4.20 and you want a 30% food cost, the formula is €4.20 / 0.30 = €14 (PVP without VAT). Add the corresponding VAT to get the menu price.
What profit percentage should a food dish have?
It is not measured by direct profit percentage, but by the gross margin on sales. A dish with a 30% food cost has a 70% gross margin on the PVP without VAT, but that must absorb all other business costs.
How do you get the food cost of a dish?
Add up the cost of each recipe ingredient in the exact quantity used, including waste and minor elements (oil, salt, garnish). Divide that total by the dish's selling price without VAT and multiply by 100 to get the percentage.
What is the ideal food cost in hospitality?
It depends on the concept: in fine dining it can reach 35-40% due to the value of raw materials, while in pizzerias or pasta businesses it is around 22-28%. The most common and sustainable range for full-service restaurants is 28-32%.
How is the gross margin of a dish calculated?
Subtract the cost per serving (without VAT) from the dish's selling price without VAT. The result is the gross margin in euros. To see it as a percentage, divide that gross margin by the PVP without VAT and multiply by 100.

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