Link PagesPricing dishes without guessing
A dish can sell well and still lose money. A few minutes of arithmetic per dish prevents it.
Cost of one plate
Add the cost of every ingredient in one serving: grains, vegetables, oil, spices, paneer or meat, packing for delivery. Weigh a portion and cost it. For a dal that serves 10, divide the pot cost by 10. Do not forget gas and the part of ingredients that is lost in cleaning and cooking.
Food cost share
Divide the cost of one plate by its selling price. This share is called the food cost. A restaurant also has rent, wages, power, tax and wastage to pay from what is left, so the food cost share must leave enough. What share is right depends on your costs and your place; work it out from your own bills rather than copying a rule.
A worked example (made-up numbers)
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ingredients for one veg thali | \₹48 |
| Gas, packing and wastage share | \₹12 |
| Cost of one plate | \₹60 |
| Selling price | \₹120 |
| Left for wages, rent and profit | \₹60 (50%) |
Whether that is enough depends on how many plates you sell and what your other costs are: the break-even calculator shows the plates needed a month to cover fixed costs.
Check against the market
Compare with two or three places nearby that serve the same kind of food. If you are far higher, ask what the customer gets extra. If you are far lower, you may be giving away profit.
Change prices carefully
When ingredient prices rise, raise the price of the dishes where the ingredient matters most and keep a few popular items steady. Tell regulars before a change.
Common questions
Should I price every dish the same way?
Most places do not. A cheap item such as tea can carry a high margin, while a costly dish is priced closer to cost. What matters is the average across what you sell.
How often should I redo this?
When a main ingredient changes price by a lot, and every few months in any case.
Keep going
Everything a visitor types is packed into the link and nothing is stored by us; answers and replies go to the sender's WhatsApp. The UPI link opens a UPI app with the amount filled in and has not been tested with every app. Example names, prices and dates are made up. No tax, advertising or legal rule is stated: check them where you live. Checked 14 November 2026.