Platform fees of 15-30% eat away at your delivery profits month after month. Your own app seems like the obvious solution, but hidden costs often make it more expensive than you'd expect. Most restaurant owners discover the true break-even point is much higher than they initially calculated.
The hidden costs of your own delivery app
Platform fees show up clearly on your invoice. But your own app costs get buried across different line items:
- App development: €15,000 - €50,000 one-time
- Monthly hosting: €200 - €800 per month
- App Store fees: 30% of all payments through the app
- Payment processing: 1.5-3% of each transaction
- Marketing: customers need to discover your app
- Maintenance and updates: €500 - €2,000 per month
⚠️ Watch out:
App Store fees only apply to payments made through the app. Phone orders are free, but you'll still need staff to take those orders.
Platform fees vs. your own app costs
Real numbers tell the story better than vague percentages:
💡 Example: Pizzeria with €8,000 delivery revenue per month
Platform costs (Thuisbezorgd):
- Platform fee: 25% of €8,000 = €2,000
- Payment processing: free (included in platform fee)
- Marketing: free (platform brings customers)
Total platform: €2,000 per month
💡 Your own app costs (same revenue):
Monthly costs of your own app:
- App Store fees: 30% of €6,000 app orders = €1,800
- Phone orders: €2,000 (no app fee)
- Hosting and maintenance: €600
- Marketing to get customers: €800
- Payment processing: 2% of €8,000 = €160
Total own app: €3,360 per month
Calculating the break-even point
Your own app becomes profitable when total costs drop below platform fees. Here's the formula:
Break-even revenue = (Fixed app costs per month) / (Platform fee % - Own app variable costs %)
💡 Break-even calculation:
Fixed costs own app: €1,400 (hosting + maintenance + marketing)
Platform fee: 25%
Own app variable costs: 20% (App Store) + 2% (payment) = 22%
Break-even: €1,400 / (0.25 - 0.22) = €46,667 per month
Below €46,667 delivery revenue per month, the platform costs less. Above that threshold, your own app starts making financial sense.
Factors that influence the break-even point
From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, several variables dramatically shift your break-even calculation:
- Phone vs. app orders: More phone orders mean fewer App Store fees
- Platform fee percentage: Ranges from 15-30% depending on the platform
- Marketing effectiveness: Can you actually convince customers to download your app?
- App development costs: Spreading these over 3-5 years increases monthly expenses
⚠️ Watch out:
Your own app means you must acquire customers yourself. Platforms deliver new customers to your door. That marketing value is nearly impossible to quantify accurately.
Alternative strategy: hybrid model
Many successful delivery businesses combine both approaches:
- Platforms: For new customer acquisition and market reach
- Own channel: Phone and website for returning customers
- Loyalty program: Encourage direct orders with exclusive discounts
This strategy gives you benefits from both systems without complete dependence on either one.
Tools for delivery calculations
Regardless of platforms or your own app, you need tight control over your numbers. Food cost calculators help you:
- Calculate food cost per dish including packaging expenses
- Build break-even analyses for different scenarios
- Compare platform fees against own app costs
- Track profitability across different order channels
Data-driven decisions beat gut feelings every time for your delivery strategy.
How do you calculate the break-even for your own delivery app?
Gather all platform costs
Add up what you currently pay in platform fees, usually 15-30% of your delivery revenue. Don't forget that payment processing and marketing are often free with platforms.
Calculate your own app costs
Work out: hosting (€200-800/month), maintenance (€500-2000/month), App Store fees (30% of app orders), payment processing (1.5-3%) and marketing to get customers.
Determine break-even point
Use the formula: Fixed app costs / (Platform fee % - Own app variable %). This gives you the monthly revenue where both options cost the same.
✨ Pro tip
Track your current phone-to-platform order ratio for 30 days before building an app. If less than 40% of customers call directly, your app adoption will likely be too low to justify development costs.
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
From what revenue is your own delivery app interesting?
This depends on your specific costs, but typically around €40,000-50,000 delivery revenue per month. Below that threshold, platforms are usually cheaper due to their economies of scale.
Do I have to pay App Store fees on all orders?
No, only on orders paid through the app itself. Phone orders and website orders avoid App Store fees, but still carry other processing costs.
How do I get customers to download my own app?
Marketing becomes crucial: loyalty programs, discounts for direct orders, social media promotion and physical flyers. Budget €500-1500 per month minimum for customer acquisition.
What if my own app crashes during peak dinner hours?
Technical problems cost revenue immediately. You need reliable hosting, backup systems and phone order fallbacks. These are additional costs that platforms handle automatically.
Can I deduct platform fees from my business taxes?
Yes, platform fees count as business expenses and are tax-deductible. The same applies to your own app costs - both are legitimate business expenses.
How long does it take to recoup app development costs?
Most restaurants need 18-24 months to break even on initial development costs. Factor this depreciation into your monthly calculations for accurate comparisons.
📚 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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