Launch access · One-time plans or Pro Annual with monthly updates
PLPlateLedger

Restaurant cost control, made practical

Know the true cost of every plate. Protect your restaurant margins.

A downloadable restaurant profit-control toolkit for independent food operators. Cost recipes, account for yield and waste, and compare menu margins—without another high-cost monthly software subscription.

Try the live demoSee pricing →
✓ No signup for demo✓ One-time or annual plans✓ Built for food operators
Margin overviewExample data
Average food cost28.4%↓ 2.1 pts
Tracked recipes84
Waste flagged$312
Independent restaurantsCaterersCloud kitchensMulti-location operators

One operating view

From ingredient invoice to menu margin

01

Recipe costing

Calculate portions from current ingredient prices and see gross margin before a dish reaches the menu.

02

Yield control

Account for trim, cooking loss, and usable yield so theoretical costs reflect kitchen reality.

03

Waste tracking

Record loss consistently, reveal recurring causes, and focus corrective work where it matters.

04

Clear reporting

Monitor cost movement and compare recipes, categories, and locations from one structured view.

Product format

A local browser app, delivered as a ZIP.

PlateLedger is not a hosted SaaS account and the paid product is not an Excel workbook. After a verified Paddle payment, you download a ZIP, extract it, and open index.html in a current desktop browser. Your working data stays in that browser unless you export a backup.

1

Download

Receive the ZIP selected by your purchased plan through a payment-verified download page.

2

Open locally

Extract all files into one folder and open index.html. No installation or login is required.

3

Keep control

Save entries in your browser and export JSON or CSV backups. The free Excel starter template is a separate optional download.

Inside PlateLedger

See what you get

A practical toolkit for understanding costs, controlling waste, and protecting menu margins.

PlateLedger recipe costing workspace previewProduct demo
Recipe costingBuild recipes from ingredient costs, yields, portions, and selling prices.
PlateLedger waste tracking workspace previewProduct demo
Waste trackingRecord losses and identify the categories that need attention.
PlateLedger margin reporting workspace previewProduct demo
Margin reportingCompare performance and spot margin pressure quickly.

Interactive demo

Cost one complete recipe—free

Enter real purchase and recipe quantities. See plate cost, food-cost percentage, margin, and a target-based selling price instantly. No signup required.

Ingredients

Add every component used in the full recipe.

Metric and imperial conversions work within the same measurement family. Weight cannot be converted to volume without an ingredient-specific density.

Total recipe cost$0.00Full batch
Cost per portion$0.00Yield adjusted
Food cost0.0%Cost ÷ selling price
Gross profit / portion$0.000.0%
Suggested selling price$0.00Based on target
Current vs suggested$0.00Positive is above target price
Cost statusReviewCompared with target

Status rule: Healthy is at or below your target; Review is up to 15% above target; High Cost is more than 15% above target.

How it works

From ingredient cost to a pricing decision.

01

Enter ingredients

Add purchase quantities, prices, recipe usage, usable yield, and number of portions.

02

Calculate recipe cost

PlateLedger calculates ingredient cost, total recipe cost, and cost per portion from your inputs.

03

Review margin and price

See food-cost percentage, gross margin, contribution per portion, and the selling price needed for your chosen target food-cost percentage.

Optional expert help

Need help preparing your costing data?

PlateLedger is designed for self-service. A separate, tightly scoped setup service is available when you want help with a first recipe, yield check, or menu review.

View services

After payment

From secure checkout to your working toolkit.

01

Pay securely with Paddle

Paddle processes the payment and confirms the exact plan purchased. Card details are not handled by PlateLedger.

02

Open the verified download

The confirmation page requests a plan-specific ZIP only after Paddle reports a completed, positive payment.

03

Extract and start locally

Unzip the folder, open index.html, and follow the included quick-start guide. No hosted account is required.

Flexible pricing

Choose lifetime access or ongoing updates.

Buy a toolkit once, or choose Pro Annual for every monthly product update released during your subscription.

Core

For recipe and menu costing

$29 one time

One business · internal use

  • PlateLedger Core ZIP
  • Local browser app: HTML, CSS and JavaScript files
  • Recipe, ingredient, yield and menu-margin workspace
  • Settings plus JSON and recipe CSV export
  • Quick-start guide and license file
Recommended

Pro

For deeper operating control

$59 one time

One business · internal use

  • PlateLedger Pro ZIP
  • Everything in Core
  • Inventory, purchasing, vendor, budget and waste modules
  • Dashboard and margin reports
  • JSON backup plus recipe and waste CSV exports
  • Quick-start guide and license file

Team

For an operating team

$99 one time

One organization · multiple internal users

  • PlateLedger Team ZIP
  • Complete local app included with Pro
  • Internal use by staff within one purchasing organization
  • Team rollout guide
  • JSON and CSV exports
  • Priority email support
Monthly updates

Pro Annual

For teams that want current releases

$348 / year

Equivalent to $29/month · billed annually

  • Current PlateLedger Pro ZIP after payment
  • Everything in Pro
  • Eligibility for monthly product releases while active
  • Latest released templates and reports
  • One-business internal-use license
  • Priority email support

All plans use secure Paddle checkout. The download endpoint verifies that the transaction is completed, paid, not refunded, and contains the selected PlateLedger price before releasing a ZIP.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Who is PlateLedger for?

Independent restaurants, caterers, and multi-location food businesses that need a reliable view of recipe costs and margins.

What exactly do I download?

A ZIP containing a local browser application: index.html, supporting CSS and JavaScript files, a quick-start guide, and a license file. Team also includes a team rollout guide. The free Excel template is separate from the paid app.

How is the product delivered?

After Paddle confirms a completed paid transaction, the confirmation page creates a plan-specific secure download. Unpaid, refunded, mismatched, or zero-total transactions are rejected.

Is this a subscription?

Core, Pro, and Team are one-time purchases. Pro Annual is a yearly subscription priced at $29 per month and billed as one annual payment of $348. It includes every monthly product update released while the subscription is active.

Are taxes included?

Applicable taxes are calculated at checkout based on your location and local requirements.

Does PlateLedger guarantee savings?

No. PlateLedger provides structured calculations and operational visibility; outcomes depend on your data and decisions.