Pizza recipe cost card: how to cost a pie (with a free example)
A pizza recipe cost card lists every ingredient in one pie with its weight, price and cost, then the total plate cost and the menu price. In our example a 14-inch cheese pie comes to about $2.60 in ingredients. The card sets your price, keeps the pie the same no matter who makes it, and answers allergen questions.
What a cost card is for
- Pricing from real numbers rather than from what the shop down the street charges.
- Consistency: the same dough weight, sauce and cheese on every pie, every shift.
- Training: a new cook can make the pie from the card and a photo.
- Allergens: every ingredient is listed, so the answer is on paper, not in someone’s head.
Example: a 14-inch cheese pie
| Ingredient | Quantity | Cost price | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-gluten flour (+ water, salt, yeast, oil) | 8.5 oz flour | $0.50/lb | $0.27 |
| Crushed tomatoes, seasoned | 5 oz | $1.60/lb | $0.50 |
| Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella | 8 oz | $3.20/lb | $1.60 |
| Oregano, grated cheese, oil | — | — | $0.10 |
| Waste (5%) | $0.12 | ||
| Plate cost | $2.59 |
Example cost prices only. Replace them with the prices on your own distributor invoices; cheese moves the most.
Add to the same card a photo of the finished pie, the topping order, bake time and temperature, and the allergens (here: wheat and milk). For dough quantities, the pizza dough calculator scales the recipe to any number of dough balls, in ounces.
Percentage or dollar margin?
Food cost percentage, plate cost divided by menu price, is the standard measure. In the US, sales tax is added at the register, so you divide by the menu price as printed. On a pizza menu, though, the percentage ranks your pies the wrong way round:
| Pie | Plate cost | Menu price | Food cost % | Gross margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheese | $2.59 | $16.00 | 16% | $13.41 |
| Pepperoni | $3.40 | $19.00 | 18% | $15.60 |
| Soppressata, ricotta, hot honey | $5.10 | $24.00 | 21% | $18.90 |
Example figures.
The cheese pie has the best percentage and the smallest margin. The specialty pie has the worst percentage and earns about $5.50 more per pie. Rent, gas and payroll are paid in dollars, not percentages: watch both, but decide on dollar margin.
Standard portions for a 14-inch pie
| Item | Typical portion | How to hold it |
|---|---|---|
| Dough ball | 13–16 oz | Scale, divider |
| Sauce | 4–6 oz | Portion ladle or spoodle |
| Mozzarella | 7–10 oz | Weighed or portion cup |
| Pepperoni | 1.5–2.5 oz | Counted slices |
| Vegetables | 1.5–3 oz | Portion cup |
Keeping cards up to date
A card with last year’s prices is useless. Update it whenever you change distributor, and at least quarterly for cheese and meats, which move the most. To recalculate in seconds, use the pizza food cost calculator.
Food cost is only one of the numbers to watch: see pizzeria profitability ratios.