Running a restaurant? Then you already know — managing food costs can make or break your business. But what if there were an easy, automated way to calculate recipe costs, track inventory, and analyze servings per dish — all in Google Sheets?
Welcome to this guide based on my latest Excel Highway video where I walk you through creating a Food Cost Calculator using Google Sheets. Whether you’re a chef, manager, or someone dreaming of opening a food truck, this template is your shortcut to smarter budgeting and more efficient kitchen management.
👀 Why Food Costing Matters (And Why Spreadsheets Are a Game-Changer)
Food prices fluctuate, ingredients go to waste, and serving sizes shift. Without a clear view of what each recipe costs, it’s easy to lose track of profit margins.
That’s where a well-structured food cost calculator can help:
- 🔍 Track ingredient prices & units
- 🍝 Calculate per-serving costs
- 📊 Set and monitor food cost targets
- 📦 Manage inventory in real-time
- 📥 Export data for financial planning or ordering
And the best part? No expensive software required. All you need is a free Google account and this guide.
🎥 What’s Inside the Video (And This Post)
In the video, I show you how to build and use this calculator, step-by-step. Here’s what you’ll learn:
- How to set up a multi-sheet calculator in Google Sheets
- How to structure your Menu, Inventory, and Recipes
- How to use functions like
CONVERT,FILTER, andINDEX MATCH - How to handle unit conversions and serving size adjustments
- How to use ChatGPT to generate recipe ingredients for testing
- How to automate recipe-to-database transfers using checkboxes and formulas
📄 Sheet Breakdown: What Each Tab Does
Here’s a quick summary of the sheets in the template:
📋 Menu Sheet
- Shows your full menu
- Calculates cost per recipe and per serving
- Lets you round off or adjust prices manually
- Automatically updates when you add new recipes
🧾 Inventory Sheet
- Enter ingredients, unit of measure, and cost
- Calculates cost per unit (e.g. cost per lb, liter, etc.)
- Keeps your ingredient list up to date
📚 Recipe Database
- Stores final versions of each recipe
- Used for cost analysis and menu planning
🛠️ Recipe Sheet (Builder)
- Build new recipes
- Enter ingredients and units (with dropdowns!)
- Automatically calculates cost and servings
- One-click copy to the recipe database
🔁 Unit Conversion Sheet
- Uses Google’s
CONVERTfunction to handle unit switches (e.g. cups to grams) - Pre-built for liquid and solid conversions
- Includes “each” for unit-based items like eggs
🤖 ChatGPT Recipes (Optional)
- Includes AI-generated recipes to help you test or build examples
- Great if you’re just starting out or looking for inspiration
🧩 Key Features & Pro Tips
🔹 Dropdowns for Standardized Units
Use Data Validation to make unit input consistent across sheets.
🔹 Ingredient Lookup with VLOOKUP
Auto-pull prices and units from inventory to recipe sheets.
🔹 Conversion Check Alerts
Highlight ingredients that can’t be converted — great for accuracy.
🔹 Filter Recipes Using Formulas
Dynamic filters pull just the recipe you’re working on.
🔹 ChatGPT Integration
Generate recipes on the fly using structured prompts like:"Give me a recipe for vegetarian lasagna (8 servings) with ingredients, unit, quantity, and purchase measure."
📥 Ready to Start? Download the Template Now!
Want to save hours and avoid messy spreadsheets?
Included:
- Fully built Google Sheets template
- Video walkthrough link
- Bonus: AI prompts for building new recipes
✅ Perfect for restaurant owners, chefs, and catering businesses
🧾 No need for coding — just plug and play!
🗂️ Final Thoughts
Whether you’re running a Michelin-star kitchen or just budgeting home meals for the week, accurate food costing is key to managing money and minimizing waste. With this calculator, you have a scalable, customizable solution — built on a free platform.
Got questions? Drop them in the video comments or reach out via the contact page.
Happy cooking and smarter budgeting!
— Elad from Excel Highway