Are you actually making money on that €15 pasta you just sent out for delivery? Most restaurant owners think they know, but takeaway margins work differently than dine-in dishes. Different costs, platform fees, and packaging expenses can quietly eat away at profits you thought you had.
The difference between restaurant and takeaway
Takeaway meals come with their own cost structure that's quite different from your regular restaurant service. Here's what changes:
- VAT: 9% (same as restaurant)
- No table service: lower labor costs
- No dishwashing: often disposable packaging
- Packaging costs: additional cost item
⚠️ Note:
Always calculate with the price excluding VAT. The price your customer pays includes 9% VAT.
The formula for takeaway margin
You'll need to work through this in two clear steps:
Step 1: Add up all your costs
- Ingredients (food cost)
- Packaging (boxes, cutlery, bags)
- Extra costs (delivery fees, commissions)
Step 2: Apply the margin formula
Margin % = ((Selling price excl. VAT - Total costs) / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
? Example:
Margherita Pizza takeaway for €16.50 (incl. 9% VAT)
- Selling price excl. VAT: €16.50 / 1.09 = €15.14
- Ingredients: €4.20
- Pizza box: €0.35
- Delivery costs: €2.50
Total costs: €4.20 + €0.35 + €2.50 = €7.05
Margin: ((€15.14 - €7.05) / €15.14) × 100 = 53.4%
Don't forget packaging costs
Packaging expenses sneak up on you fast. Based on real restaurant P&L data, these seemingly small costs can reduce your margin by 3-8% per dish:
- Pizza box: €0.25 - €0.45
- Plastic container: €0.15 - €0.30
- Cutlery set: €0.10 - €0.20
- Paper bag: €0.05 - €0.15
? Example packaging costs:
Thai takeaway dish in plastic container
- Large container: €0.25
- Lid: €0.08
- Plastic cutlery: €0.12
- Paper bag: €0.10
Total packaging: €0.55 per order
Delivery platforms and commissions
Platform fees are direct costs that need to be factored into every single order. You can't ignore them:
- Thuisbezorgd: 10-15% commission
- Uber Eats: 15-30% commission
- Deliveroo: 15-35% commission
? Example with platform commission:
Pasta sold via Thuisbezorgd for €18.50
- Selling price excl. VAT: €16.97
- Thuisbezorgd commission (13%): €2.41
- Ingredients: €5.10
- Packaging: €0.40
Total costs: €2.41 + €5.10 + €0.40 = €7.91
Margin: ((€16.97 - €7.91) / €16.97) × 100 = 53.4%
What is a good takeaway margin?
Takeaway margins can actually be higher than restaurant margins since you're not paying for table service. But platform fees change the game:
- Restaurant margin: 60-75%
- Takeaway without platform: 65-80%
- Takeaway via platform: 45-65%
⚠️ Note:
These are guidelines, not absolute truths. Your situation may differ due to location, concept, and competition.
Tracking margins digitally
Manually calculating margins for every dish gets old fast. Most successful takeaway operations use digital systems to:
- Automatically calculate margins
- Record packaging costs per dish
- Maintain different selling prices (restaurant vs. takeaway)
- See the impact of commissions immediately
Related articles
How do you calculate the margin on takeaway meals? (step by step)
Calculate your selling price excluding VAT
Divide your takeaway price by 1.09 to get the price excluding 9% VAT. For example: €18.50 / 1.09 = €16.97 excl. VAT.
Add up all costs
Calculate ingredients + packaging + any delivery costs or platform commissions. Don't forget small costs like plastic cutlery or paper bags.
Calculate the margin
Use the formula: ((Selling price excl. VAT - Total costs) / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100. A healthy takeaway margin is between 45-80% depending on your sales channel.
✨ Pro tip
Track packaging costs per €100 of takeaway sales for 2 weeks. If it's over €8, you're either over-packaging or need to adjust your prices.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I include VAT in my margin calculation?
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What does packaging cost on average per order?
Can I use the same prices for restaurant and takeaway?
Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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