What does a slice of tomato actually cost you? Find out in seconds.
I chased a blended food cost percentage for five years. It hid everything — my $6 chicken breast was subsidizing a $22 filet I was losing money on. This calculator shows you what's actually happening, item by item, the way I wish someone had shown me. Read why I built this →
Accounts for trim, peel, seeds, cooking shrink. Higher waste = higher true cost.
The Q-factor (or waste factor) accounts for the difference between what you buy and what you can actually serve.
When you buy a tomato, you throw away the stem, the core, and maybe some bruised spots. That's 10% waste. Your true cost per usable ounce is higher than the sticker price.
Formula: Q = 1 ÷ (1 - Waste%)
10% waste → Q = 1.11 (you pay 11% more per usable unit)
32% waste → Q = 1.47 (you pay 47% more per usable unit)
| Ingredient | Waste | Q-Factor |
|---|---|---|
| Fish fillet | 5% | 1.05 |
| Carrot | 8% | 1.09 |
| Chicken breast | 8% | 1.09 |
| Tomato | 10% | 1.11 |
| Garlic | 10% | 1.11 |
| Potato | 12% | 1.14 |
| Mushroom | 12% | 1.14 |
| Onion | 15% | 1.18 |
| Apple | 15% | 1.18 |
| Bell pepper | 18% | 1.22 |
| Lettuce | 20% | 1.25 |
| Beef chuck | 20% | 1.25 |
| Celery | 20% | 1.25 |
| Broccoli | 25% | 1.33 |
| Spinach | 30% | 1.43 |
| Chicken (whole) | 32% | 1.47 |
| Whole fish | 35% | 1.54 |
| Brisket (smoked) | 40% | 1.67 |
| Watermelon | 45% | 1.82 |
| Lobster (whole) | 50% | 2.00 |
This calculator does one ingredient. The full card builder does your whole recipe — all ingredients, waste, and total margin in 30 seconds.
Cost a Recipe Free →Most operators are 2–4 points higher than they think. This tool catches the drift before your P&L does.
Send your menu to joe@myrecipecard.kitchen — I’ll send back what your numbers actually look like. No demo. No pitch. Just your menu, your math.