Most ghost kitchen owners guess their hourly capacity, while smart operators calculate it precisely. This difference separates profitable kitchens from those constantly struggling with missed orders and angry customers. Knowing your exact capacity prevents overpromising and helps you maximize revenue during peak hours.
Why capacity calculation is crucial
Ghost kitchens live or die by efficiency. You don't have guests sitting around waiting. Every order needs to be ready within 15-20 minutes, otherwise you'll get bad reviews on the platforms.
⚠️ Note:
Don't overestimate your capacity. Better 80 perfect orders than 120 bad ones. Bad reviews cost you more than missed orders.
The basic formula for capacity
Your capacity depends on two factors: preparation time per order and number of parallel cooking lines.
Capacity per hour = (60 minutes / average preparation time) × number of parallel lines
💡 Example:
Your ghost kitchen has 2 cooking lines and each order takes an average of 12 minutes:
- Line 1: 60 ÷ 12 = 5 orders per hour
- Line 2: 60 ÷ 12 = 5 orders per hour
Total capacity: 10 orders per hour
Calculating preparation time per order
Measure the time from order received to ready for delivery. Not just cooking time!
- Reading order and gathering ingredients: 1-2 minutes
- Preparation (grilling, frying, assembling): 8-15 minutes
- Packaging and labeling: 2-3 minutes
- Waiting for delivery driver: 0-5 minutes
💡 Example preparation times:
- Burger menu: 8-12 minutes
- Pizza: 12-18 minutes
- Wok dish: 6-10 minutes
- Salad: 3-6 minutes
Determining parallel cooking lines
A parallel line is a complete workstation where one person can make orders. This depends on:
- Cooktops/grills: How many pans can you use at the same time?
- Ovens: Can you bake multiple orders simultaneously?
- Work space: Enough room for multiple people?
- Staff: How many cooks do you have during peak hours?
💡 Example kitchen setup:
25m² kitchen with 2 cooks during peak hours:
- 2 induction cooktops (4 zones each)
- 1 combi-oven with 3 levels
- 2 work counters for assembly
Result: 2 parallel lines possible
Peak hours vs. quiet hours
Your capacity varies by time of day. Calculate for both scenarios:
- Peak hours (18:00-21:00): All lines occupied, full staff
- Quiet hours (14:00-17:00): Fewer staff, lower capacity
- Lunch rush (12:00-14:00): Faster dishes, higher capacity
From years of working in professional kitchens, I've learned that most operators underestimate how much capacity drops during slow periods. You can't just divide peak capacity by the number of staff - efficiency drops significantly too.
Accounting for platform limitations
Delivery platforms have their own limitations that affect your capacity:
- Available drivers: No point taking orders if there are no drivers
- Delivery area: Further away = longer delivery time = less capacity
- Platform algorithm: Long wait times = less visibility
⚠️ Note:
Delivery apps show your restaurant less if you regularly have long preparation times. This costs you revenue.
Optimizing capacity
Once you know your current capacity, you can increase it:
- Simplify menu: Fewer ingredients = faster preparation
- Improve mise-en-place: Everything prepped = faster assembly
- Batch cooking: Prepare large quantities at once
- Upgrade equipment: Faster ovens, more cooking zones
💡 Example optimization:
By using pre-baked pizza bases and pre-cut vegetables:
- Pizza preparation time: from 15 to 8 minutes
- Capacity per line: from 4 to 7.5 orders/hour
Total improvement: +87% more orders
How do you calculate capacity? (step by step)
Measure your average preparation time
Grab a stopwatch and measure 20 random orders from receipt to ready for delivery. Add up all times and divide by 20. This is your average preparation time per order.
Count your parallel cooking lines
Look at your kitchen: how many complete workstations do you have where one person can make an order from A to Z? Pay attention to equipment, work space and available staff during peak hours.
Calculate your theoretical capacity
Use the formula: (60 minutes ÷ average preparation time) × number of parallel lines. This gives you maximum orders per hour under ideal conditions.
Adjust for reality
Subtract 20-30% from your theoretical capacity for breaks, more complex orders and unexpected delays. This is your actual capacity that you can safely promise to platforms.
✨ Pro tip
Track your actual capacity for 14 consecutive days across different time slots. Most kitchens can handle 12-18 orders during Friday dinner rush but only 6-8 during Tuesday lunch.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
What if I make different types of dishes with different preparation times?
Calculate a weighted average based on your sales distribution. If 60% of your orders are pizzas (15 min) and 40% are salads (5 min), your average is: (0.6 × 15) + (0.4 × 5) = 11 minutes.
How often should I recalculate my capacity?
Check your average preparation times monthly via your platform data. If you change the menu, get new equipment or have different staff, you should recalculate immediately.
Can I increase my capacity by hiring more staff?
Only if your kitchen has space for more parallel lines. More people in the same workspace actually makes it slower due to congestion and waiting for equipment.
What is a realistic capacity for a small ghost kitchen?
An average ghost kitchen of 20-30m² achieves 8-15 orders per hour during peak times. Specialized concepts like salads can go higher, complex menus lower.
📚 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
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (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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