{"id":1174,"date":"2026-09-06T11:52:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T11:52:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/costo.menu\/en\/?p=1174"},"modified":"2026-09-06T19:08:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T19:08:29","slug":"kalo-food-cost-percentage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/costo.menu\/en\/good-food-cost-percentage\/","title":{"rendered":"What is considered a good food cost percentage?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CostoMenu Blog \u00b7 Food Cost<\/p>\n

Many guides cite as a general benchmark the range 28\u201335%<\/strong>. But there is no perfect percentage for everyone. Everything depends on the rest of the business costs, as well as the type of restaurant.<\/p>\n

So the right question is not only:<\/p>\n

Is my food cost below 35%?<\/em><\/p>\n

The more useful question is:<\/p>\n

With this food cost, this selling price, and the other expenses, does the business make enough profit margin?<\/em><\/p>\n

Why the \u201cideal\u201d 30\u201332% is not a rule<\/h2>\n

A steakhouse can have a higher food cost than a pasta concept and still be healthy. A restaurant where the building is owned and the owner produces a large share of the raw materials has plenty of room to lower prices \u2014 thereby raising the food cost percentage to compete \u2014 and still have healthy profitability.<\/p>\n

So the ideal food cost %, while traditionally considered close to 30\u201332%<\/strong>, is not necessarily a rule, because many factors affect the choice of selling price.<\/p>\n

What to look at before you \u201clock in\u201d a target<\/h2>\n