Cost per serving is calculated identically to plate cost in most independent restaurant contexts: sum of ingredient costs for one portion. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with plate cost, though cost per serving may include additional allocated costs such as non-food supplies (foil, to-go containers) or overhead apportionment in more sophisticated costing models. MenuMargin uses cost per serving as the primary cost metric and includes a toggle for operators who wish to add allocated non-food costs to the per-portion calculation.
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Cost Per Serving
The ingredient cost allocated to a single serving of a menu item, identical to plate cost in most costing contexts.
Related terms
- Plate Cost — The total ingredient cost for a single prepared menu item, calculated from the cost per ingredient portion.
- Recipe Costing — The process of calculating the per-portion cost of a recipe by accounting for every ingredient and yield.
- Gross Profit Margin — Revenue minus cost of goods sold, divided by revenue. Expressed as a percentage; the primary menu profitability metric.