Owner guide · More sales
How to price your menu, and when to raise prices
A menu price has to pay for the food, the people, the rent and leave something for you. Here is a simple way to check each dish.
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Step by step
- Know the food cost of each dish. Add up what the ingredients cost for one plate. Many restaurants aim for food cost around a quarter to a third of the menu price, but your own costs decide.
- Check what places nearby charge. Look at menus of similar restaurants near you. You do not have to match them, but you should know where you stand.
- Price your top sellers with care. The dishes guests order most carry the business. A small change there matters more than a big change on a dish nobody orders.
- Raise prices a little, not all at once. Small changes on a few dishes are noticed less than one big jump across the whole menu.
- Keep online and in-store prices clear. If delivery app prices are higher to cover their commission, guests notice. Your own page can show your normal menu price.
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- Restaurant promotions that do not hurt your margins
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- How to get more pickup orders
When to raise prices
When the cost of a key ingredient stays up for months, when your best seller is clearly underpriced next to places nearby, or once a year as part of a menu update. Tell regulars why if you want; most understand rising costs.
EatFuti is in Des Moines, Iowa, and works with independent restaurants across the United States, most of all in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas and Texas.
How it works with EatFuti
- Run the free check. Three minutes, no sign-up. See your Google page, where your Order button goes and how your site does on a phone.
- Say yes. Send your photos and menu, or we take the menu from your POS or online. Online ordering is live 48 to 72 hours after signup.
- Your website goes up. Built for you from your photos, menu and reviews, right after ordering is live. You approve it before it goes up.
Questions owners ask
What food cost percentage should a restaurant aim for?
It depends on the kind of restaurant and the dish. Work out your own costs per plate and watch how they change over time.
Can I charge more on delivery apps?
Many restaurants do, to cover the app’s commission. Check each app’s rules for your plan.