Pricing that pays
How to Price Plates, Trays & Catering: The 3x Rule (With Calculator)
Underpricing is the plate-sale disease: sell out every week, end up with gas money. The cure is pricing from ingredients up, not from what your auntie thinks a plate should cost. The calculator below runs your batch.
Run your numbers
The 3x rule
Cost one full batch honestly — proteins, sides, seasoning, oil, containers, napkins — and divide by plates produced. That's your per-plate cost. Price at roughly 3× per-plate cost (that's a ~33% food cost). A plate costing $5.10 in ingredients and packaging is a $15 plate, minimum. If your market brothers at $12, shrink the portion or upgrade the menu — don't eat the difference.
Trays and events price differently
Trays: batch cost × 3, rounded to a clean number ("half tray feeds 10–12: $85; full tray feeds 20–25: $160"). Events: plates × per-plate price PLUS a service line for delivery/setup ($50–$150) — your time outside the kitchen is billable. Deposits (25–50%) at booking for any event or large order, no exceptions: you're buying ingredients with their commitment, not your savings.
Raise prices with the sellout rule
Selling out every single week is the market saying you're underpriced. Raise $1–$2, watch what happens (usually: nothing but more profit). Announce simply: "New menu pricing starts next week." The customers who leave over $1 were subsidized by your unpaid hours.
Questions people ask
What if my food cost makes the price feel too high?
Portion control and menu design fix most of it: pair one premium protein with high-margin sides, offer a smaller plate size, or move signature items to trays where the margin math is friendlier.
Should delivery be free?
No — charge a flat delivery fee by distance or roll it into event service charges. Your car and hours are business costs.