Restaurant Portion Calculator

Convert a home-recipe yield (typically 4 entrée servings) to restaurant-portion counts (typically 5-6 oz mains).

Inputs

Result

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General calculation reads

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How to use this calculator

  • Enter your home recipe servings and typical portion size.
  • Enter restaurant portion size (typically 5-7 oz for entrées).
  • Read the restaurant-style serving count.

About this calculator

Restaurants use smaller, more controlled portions than home cooks — typical entrée mains are 5-7 oz. The same pot of stew that feeds 4 at home (8 oz each) can serve 5-6 in a restaurant context. Useful when planning catering or estimating commercial yields from a tested home recipe.

Frequently asked

What is a typical restaurant entrée portion?+
For mains: 5-7 oz protein, 4-6 oz starch, 3-4 oz vegetables. Fast-casual chains run smaller; fine dining smaller still.
Why are restaurant portions smaller than home?+
Plate composition (protein + starch + veg) plus margin economics. A larger pre-set protein portion drives food cost up faster than the customer is willing to pay.
How do I scale up for catering?+
Use this in reverse — if catering 100 portions at 6 oz each, you need 600 oz total = 75 home servings = 18.75× a 4-serving recipe.
Should I include sides?+
No — this calculator handles a single component. Track each component (protein, starch, veg) separately and sum.
Are commercial recipes scaled the same way?+
Yes — commercial yields use weight per portion as the unit. Home recipes work in cups; conversion via cups-to-grams brings them onto the same scale.

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