Hotel or food service operation?

See Lite + Compliance →
Built from 20 years on the line — not spreadsheets

Turn Your Menu
Into Profit.

PlateCost gives restaurant operators real-time cost intelligence across food and beverage — recipes, margins, and pricing in one place, with no spreadsheets required.

Built from 20 years on the line — not a template. Every feature comes from real kitchens, real margins, real pressure.
SIGNATURE
Bacon Cheeseburger with Fries
Cost Breakdown — Composed of 2 Parts
Burger Build (8oz Black Angus, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, brioche bun)$4.65
+ Fries w/ ketchup (linked recipe)$1.30
Total Recipe Cost$5.95
Menu Price$17.95
Food Cost %33.1% HEALTHY
The Real Cost of Guessing

Most restaurants don't lose money on bad recipes. They lose it to prices that never stop moving.

Food and beverage costs shift weekly. Without a system to catch it, your margins erode quietly — one invoice, one price hike, one untracked pour at a time.

Prices change, menus don’t

Your supplier raises beef prices 12% and your menu price stays the same for months — because nobody’s watching it in real time.

Silent margin loss

Spreadsheets fall out of date

By the time someone updates the costing sheet, three more invoices have come in. The "current" food cost is already wrong.

Always behind

Beverage cost is a blind spot

Pour cost rarely gets the same attention as food cost — even though over-pouring and shrink quietly eat into bar margins every shift.

Untracked pour cost

PlateCost watches your margins so you don't have to chase them after the fact.

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Built-In Safety, Not an Afterthought

Every allergen tracked — even the ones hiding in a sub-recipe.

Most costing tools don't touch allergens at all. PlateCost treats them as seriously as the cost data — documented, visible to every role, and ready for your next health inspection.

  • Inherited automatically through linked recipes
    If your house dressing contains eggs, every salad that uses it shows eggs automatically — even if nobody remembered to tag it twice.
  • AI never pre-checks a box for you
    Suggested allergens always require an active decision from a real person — never a default anyone can rubber-stamp.
  • Visible to every role, kitchen to front of house
    Staff see a clear warning banner with the source of each allergen on every recipe and plating diagram.
  • Print-ready for inspections
    Every printed recipe card includes allergen warnings — hand it to a health inspector with confidence.

The hidden risk most operators miss

When you change a batch recipe — like swapping a bread brand — every dish that uses it needs to be re-checked for allergens. PlateCost flags this automatically because allergens cascade through linked recipes in real time.

Staff Prep View — Bacon Cheeseburger with Fries
Ingredients
Black Angus PattyBrioche BunAmerican CheeseBaconLettuceTomatoPicklesKetchup
Includes
FriesView recipe →
⚠ Contains Allergens
Gluten (from Brioche Bun)Dairy (from Cheese)Egg (from Brioche Bun)
Menu Engineering Matrix
AllEntreesBeveragesDesserts
STARSPLOW HORSESPUZZLESDOGS
Ribeye
Ribs
Fries
Burger
Crab Cakes
Soup
French FriesHigh volume, thin margin. +$1 price adds ~$312/mo profit.
Crab CakesGreat margin ($8.40/sale) but only 88 sold/mo. Feature it as a special.
Know Which Dishes Are Actually Working

Not just a chart — specific actions for every item.

Every dish is plotted by profit and popularity, filtered by category, with a one-line recommendation and the exact dollar impact of a price change.

  • StarsHigh profit + high sales. Feature prominently and protect the price.
  • Plow HorsesPopular but thin margin. A $1 increase on 300 covers = $300/mo.
  • PuzzlesGreat margin, low volume. Put it in staff recommendations this week.
  • DogsLow profit and low sales. Rework the recipe or cut it entirely.
Business Plan

Know exactly where every dollar of inventory went.

Every sale automatically depletes stock based on your own recipes — no manual counting required day to day. At month's end, print a count sheet, walk the kitchen, and see exactly where the numbers don't match. That gap is where theft, over-portioning, and spoilage actually hide.

  • Automatic DepletionConfirm a sales report and every ingredient it used — down through prep recipes — comes off the shelf automatically.
  • Printable Count SheetsOrganized by category, ready to walk the storeroom with — no app required while counting.
  • Variance TrackingSee the real gap between what the system expected and what you actually counted, flagged automatically.
  • Price-Jump AlertsGet notified the moment any ingredient's cost jumps more than 10% from a new invoice.
Sample Count Sheet — Protein
ItemSystem SaysParActual
CAB Ribeye14 ea20 ea— blank —
Chicken Wings38 lb40 lb31 lb
Baby Back Ribs9 ea12 ea9 ea
⚠ Chicken Wings: counted 31 lb, system expected 38 — 7 lb unaccounted for.
Schedule & Labor

Build your schedule and publish it in minutes.

Staff see their shifts instantly on any device — no group chats, no printed sheets left on the wrong counter. Enter projected food and beverage sales and see your FOH and BOH labor percentages in real time before a single shift is worked. Already have a schedule? Upload a PDF or image and pin it to the staff portal in seconds.

  • Shift TemplatesCreate reusable shift blocks — Lunch, Dinner, Bar Close — and build a full week schedule in under 10 minutes. Save it as a template and next week takes 2.
  • Job Codes + Pay RatesAssign job codes to each staff member with individual pay rates. The same person can earn different rates as a Cook vs. a Bartender.
  • FOH and BOH SplitTrack front-of-house and back-of-house labor separately against their own sales targets — not one blended number that hides the real picture.
  • Food & Beverage TargetsDefine your food cost target (e.g. 28–32%) and beverage cost target (e.g. 20–25%). Every recipe and report shows instantly whether you are inside or outside your range.
  • OT WarningsSet your overtime threshold and multiplier. The forecast flags any staff member tracking toward overtime before the week ends.
  • Management WagesOwners enter a fixed weekly management cost — visible only to them — kept separate from hourly labor for a clean total picture.
Week of Jul 14, 2025Draft
StaffMonTueWed
Maria L.10a-4p10a-4p-10a-4p10a-6p
James T.4p-11p-4p-11p4p-11p4p-11p
Alex R.10a-4p10a-4p10a-4p-10a-4p
Proj. Sales$3,200$3,400$2,800$3,600$4,800
FOH Labor %26%24%22%26%29%
BOH Labor %31%-33%31%34%
James T. is tracking toward 41.5 hrs this week. Estimated OT premium: +$18.75.
FOH Labor
$1,840
26% of sales
BOH Labor
$2,210
32% of sales
OT Premium
+$18
this week
Included in Pro — No Add-On Required

Ready for an inspection, not scrambling for paperwork.

Track training and certifications for your whole team in the same place you already track recipes — not a separate binder, not a spreadsheet nobody updates.

  • Assign training videos, reuse them forever
    Record once (or link a video you already have), assign it to new hires, reassign it anytime someone needs a refresher.
  • Certifications with real expiration warnings
    Food Safety, Alcohol Management (RAMP), Allergen Certs — flagged automatically at 90, 30, and 15 days before they lapse, not discovered the day an inspector walks in.
  • Proof your team can actually show
    A photo of the real certificate lives on each person's profile — pulled up in seconds if you're ever asked to prove it.
Maria Lopez — Server
Food Safety Certificate
Expires Sep 14, 2026
Valid
Alcohol Management (RAMP)
Expires Jul 2, 2026
Urgent — Renew Now
Knife Safety Basics
Training video
✓ Complete
Recipe Management

Snap a handwritten recipe. Print it for the line.

Take a photo of any recipe — handwritten card, old binder, whiteboard — and PlateCost reads it, structures it with ingredients and method steps, calculates the cost, and formats it for print. Clean, professional, ready for the kitchen.

  • 📷
    Scan any recipe
    Handwritten, typed, or photographed — our AI reads it and builds the structured recipe for you to review.
  • 🖨
    Print for your team
    One click generates a clean, print-ready recipe card with ingredients, method, allergens, and your branding.
  • 💰
    Costs update automatically
    Every ingredient ties to your live prices — food cost % recalculates as ingredient costs change.
Recipe
Caesar Salad
Station: Cold Side · Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients
Romaine Hearts4 oz
Caesar Dressing2 tbsp
Parmesan, shaved0.5 oz
Croutons0.75 oz
Lemon wedge1 each
Method
1
Tear romaine into 2" pieces and place in chilled bowl.
2
Drizzle caesar dressing and toss to coat evenly.
3
Top with shaved parmesan and croutons. Serve immediately.
⚠ Allergens
Dairy · Gluten · Eggs · Fish
All Plans

Post the schedule once. Everyone sees it instantly.

Upload a schedule image or PDF and pin it to the staff portal in seconds. Staff tap Schedule, see their week, and can print it from their phone — no group chats, no printed sheets left on the wrong counter.

  • Post schedules instantly
    Upload a PDF or Excel file, or type it directly. Staff see it the moment they log in, organized under their own Schedule tab.
  • Pin what matters most
    Pin a post to keep it at the top — useful for ongoing reminders, updated procedures, or that one thing everyone keeps asking about.
  • Separate schedules from announcements
    Schedule posts stay in the Schedule tab. Notes and announcements go to Communication. Staff always know where to look.
🍽 Menu📅 Schedule📢 Communication

📌 Pinned

Week of July 7 — Full Schedule

📊 july-7-schedule.xlsx

Posted by Tom Loftis · Jul 1

4th of July — Modified Hours

We close at 6pm on the 4th. All shifts end by 5:30. Tips paid out that evening.

Posted by Tom Loftis · Jun 28

Quick Gut-Check

What's your food cost on one dish, right now?

Try it on a real plate from your own menu — no signup needed.

$
$
Food Cost Percentage
25.0%
Healthy
See Your Numbers

Forecast Your PlateCost ROI

Enter a few numbers from your own kitchen and bar to see what catching margin leaks early could be worth to you.

$
$
Conservative (1.5%)Average (3%)Aggressive (5%)
Estimated Annual Impact
$14,035
Based on the numbers you entered
Cost savings from caught price changes$7,920
Time saved on manual entry (hrs/yr)218 hrs
Value of time saved$6,115
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Estimates based on industry-average food cost variance and typical manual-entry time savings reported by early users. Actual results vary by operation.

Save Time. Know Your Numbers.

Some restaurants save more than 12 hours a week with PlateCost.

Every invoice scanned updates your ingredient costs automatically — so you always know when margins are slipping, before it hurts. No spreadsheets. No guesswork.

12+ hrs

saved per week on food cost tracking, scheduling & recipes — some operators save more

Real-time

food cost on every recipe — updated automatically every time an invoice is scanned

15 min

to scan an invoice and price your entire menu automatically

Before PlateCost

📊 Spreadsheets · Guesswork · Missed margins

After PlateCost

📈 Real-time food cost · Instant invoice pricing · Clear margins

Start Saving Time Today →14-day free trial · No setup fees
Simple Pricing

Start Free. Upgrade When You're Ready.

No contracts, no sales calls. Pick the plan that fits how you run your kitchen today.

Starter
$0 /mo
Get your core recipes costed and see where margins stand.
  • Up to 10 recipes
  • Menu engineering matrix
  • 3 invoice scans (trial)
  • 2 recipe scans (trial)
  • Print (PlateCost branded)
  • Sales reports
  • Team & training
  • Staff portal
Get Started Free
Most Popular
Pro
$79 /mo
🔒 Sign up today — lock in this price forever
The full system for a single location.
  • Everything in Starter
  • Unlimited recipes
  • 50 invoice scans/month
  • 20 recipe scans/month
  • Sales reports & insights
  • Food & beverage targets
  • Cert tracking, PDF storage & allergen audit trail
  • Staff portal & bulletins
  • Schedule builder
  • Labor forecast (FOH + BOH)
  • Restaurant-branded print
  • POS name mapping
  • 1 location
Start Free Trial

14-day free trial · No credit card required

Business
$149 /mo
For operators running 2–5 locations.
  • Everything in Pro
  • 2–5 locations
  • Cross-location comparison
  • Unlimited scans
  • Unlimited staff
  • Priority support
Start Free Trial

14-day free trial

Growth
$299 /mo
For operators managing 6–15 locations.
  • Everything in Business
  • 6–15 locations
  • White label print branding
  • Advanced multi-location reporting
  • Guided setup assistance
  • Priority email support
Start Free Trial

14-day free trial

Enterprise
Custom pricing
For groups, franchises & multi-location operators. Priced per location — scales with your operation.
  • Everything in Business
  • Unlimited locations
  • Per-location pricing
  • White label print branding
  • Direct email support
  • Guided setup — we help you get started
Contact Us →

We'll build a plan around your operation

Need help getting set up?

Getting started is easy — but if you'd like a guided hand, we offer one-on-one setup sessions to walk you through the platform, train your managers, and troubleshoot any questions during your first 30 days. We'll help you get the most out of PlateCost from day one.

Request a Quote →

Available for Pro and Business customers · Remote or on-site

Recipe & Allergen Only

Just need recipes, allergen tracking, and staff documentation?

Perfect for restaurants, hotels, and food service operations that don't need food costing — just professional recipe documentation, allergen tracking, and staff training.

G

The Grand Hotel

Culinary Standards & Recipe Guide

Cheeseburger & Fries — Plating Diagram

White Label

1. Place 8oz patty on toasted brioche bun

2. Add cheese while patty is hot

3. Layer toppings and add burger sauce

4. Arrange fries beside burger

⚠️ Allergens

Dairy · Egg · Fish
Gluten · Soy

Your logo · Your colors · Your brand

Lite + Compliance only

Lite
$19 /mo
Recipes, allergens, and staff training. No food costing.
  • Unlimited recipes (first 30 days)
  • 10 new recipes/month after
  • Plating diagrams
  • Allergen compliance
  • Staff portal & training
  • PlateCost branded print
Start Free Trial

14-day free trial · No credit card required

Most Popular
Lite + Compliance
$29 /mo
Ready for inspections — not scrambling for paperwork
Everything in Lite plus allergen communication log, certification tracking, and white label print.
  • Everything in Lite
  • PDF certificate storage
  • Automated expiration reminders
  • Compliance report — ready for inspections
  • White label print (your brand)
Start Free Trial

14-day free trial · No credit card required

Need multiple locations? Contact us for group pricing →

Stop guessing what your menu actually costs you.

Set up your first recipe in under 10 minutes — no credit card required.