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Prime Cost Calculator
Prime cost is the only number that catches the trade between food and labour. Measure it weekly.
Marji
marji.co/tools/prime-cost-calculator
Illustrative sample, not a restaurant result.
Prime cost percentage
65.0%
Prime cost is 65.0%, inside your 65% target with $0 of room per period.
Your numbers
- Total sales (period)
- $48,000
- COGS — food + beverage
- $14,880
- Fully loaded labor cost
- $16,320
- Target prime cost
- 65.0%
- Prime cost
- $31,200
- COGS as % of sales
- 31.0%
- Labor as % of sales
- 34.0%
- Dollars from target (per period)
- $0
- Annualised gap (52 periods)
- $0
Re-run these numbers free at marji.co/tools/prime-cost-calculator. Results use the inputs shown. Review quantities, units, yields and supplier costs before making a menu decision. Ingredient contribution excludes other restaurant expenses.
Print the full calculation or share a clean link to this tool. To connect a purchase cost to a dish, enter its reviewed quantities in the recipe calculator.
Cost one recipe →Common questions
Weekly or monthly?
Weekly. A month gives you twelve chances a year to notice a problem; a week gives you fifty-two. Use the same period boundaries for sales, inventory and payroll or you'll chase phantom swings.
Does prime cost include rent?
No. Rent, utilities, insurance and marketing sit below prime on the P&L. Prime cost is deliberately restricted to the two lines you can actually change this week.
My prime cost is under 60% — is that good?
Check it against your own ceiling first, and check it isn't the result of understaffing or deferred quality. Consistently very low prime cost with flat sales sometimes means you're under-investing in the thing guests came for.