Ghost kitchens operate with a completely different cost structure than traditional restaurants - you'll pay platform fees and packaging costs instead of waitstaff and dining room expenses. Your breakeven point shows exactly how many orders you must process daily just to cover expenses.
What's different about ghost kitchen costs?
Ghost kitchens have unique cost structures that affect your breakeven calculations:
- Platform fees: 15-30% of each order (Deliveroo, Uber Eats)
- Packaging costs: €0.50-€2.00 per order
- No waitstaff: lower labor costs
- No dining room rent: kitchen space only
⚠️ Note:
Platform fees vary by provider and can change. Always verify your current percentages.
The breakeven formula for ghost kitchens
Calculate your breakeven point using this formula:
Breakeven orders per day = Fixed costs per day / (Average order value - Variable costs per order)
Variable costs include:
- Food cost (ingredients)
- Platform fees
- Packaging costs
- Variable labor (if you pay per order)
💡 Example:
Ghost kitchen with average order value €22.00:
- Food cost: €7.00 (32%)
- Platform fees: €4.40 (20%)
- Packaging: €1.20
- Total variable costs: €12.60
Margin per order: €22.00 - €12.60 = €9.40
Identifying fixed costs
Your daily fixed costs consist of:
- Kitchen space rent: converted per day
- Staff: fixed salaries (chef, prep)
- Energy: gas, electricity, water
- Insurance and administration
- Depreciation: equipment, fixtures
💡 Example fixed costs:
- Rent: €2,500/month = €83/day
- Chef: €3,000/month = €100/day
- Energy: €800/month = €27/day
- Other: €700/month = €23/day
Total: €233 per day
Complete breakeven calculation
Using our example figures:
€233 fixed costs / €9.40 margin per order = 25 orders per day
So you need a minimum of 25 orders daily to break even.
💡 Reality check:
25 orders per day equals:
- At 10 hours open: 2.5 orders per hour
- At 6 days per week: 150 orders per week
- Breakeven revenue: €550 per day
Running different scenarios
From analyzing actual purchasing data across different restaurant types, testing various scenarios helps determine your optimal strategy:
- Higher average order value: fewer orders needed
- Lower platform fees: better margin per order
- More efficient packaging: lower variable costs
⚠️ Note:
Use realistic figures. Overly optimistic assumptions create cash flow problems.
Tools for ghost kitchen calculations
A food cost calculator helps you:
- Calculate exact food cost per dish
- Include packaging costs in your cost price
- Run different scenarios
- Get real-time insight into your margins
This gives you immediate visibility into order profitability and optimization opportunities.
How do you calculate breakeven for your ghost kitchen?
Calculate your average order value
Take your last 100 orders and divide total revenue by the number of orders. This gives you a realistic average. Watch out for seasonal fluctuations and weekend differences.
Inventory all fixed costs per day
Add up rent, staff, energy and other fixed costs and convert to daily amount. Divide monthly costs by 30 or use your working days per month for accuracy.
Calculate variable costs per order
Add together food cost, platform fees (15-30%), packaging costs and any variable labor. These are your costs per order that vary with the number of orders.
Apply the breakeven formula
Divide your fixed costs per day by your margin per order (order value minus variable costs). The result is the number of orders you need minimum per day.
Test different scenarios
Calculate what happens with 10% more orders, 5% higher average bill, or lower platform fees. This shows you where you can make the most impact on your profitability.
✨ Pro tip
Monitor your breakeven point weekly for the first 90 days of operation. Ghost kitchen order volumes can swing wildly during launch, and you'll need to pivot quickly if daily orders consistently fall below your 25-order threshold.
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
Should I include VAT in my breakeven calculation?
Always calculate excluding VAT. Your order values from platforms include 9% VAT, so divide by 1.09 to get the correct amount for your calculation.
How often should I recalculate my breakeven?
Check your average order value and variable costs monthly. Platforms regularly adjust their fees, and ingredient prices fluctuate too.
What if I use multiple platforms?
Calculate a weighted average of your platform fees based on volume per platform. If 60% goes through Deliveroo (20% fee) and 40% through Uber Eats (25% fee), your average is 22%.
Are packaging costs really that important?
Absolutely. At €1.50 packaging per order and 100 orders per day you're spending €4,500 per month. That's often 15-20% of your variable costs.
What about seasonal fluctuations?
Calculate breakeven for your slowest month. If you break even then, you'll make profit during busy periods. Better to calculate conservatively than be surprised.
How do platform commission structures affect my calculations?
Some platforms charge flat fees plus percentages, others have tiered structures based on volume. Track your effective commission rate monthly since it can vary significantly from the advertised rate.
📚 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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