Ghost kitchen operators often discover their burger costs 40% more than expected after factoring in packaging and platform fees. Most calculate ingredients only, missing the hidden expenses that destroy profitability. You'll master the complete cost calculation including every expense that impacts your margins.
All cost items of a ghost kitchen burger
Your burger carries five distinct cost categories that determine profitability:
- Ingredients: meat, bun, vegetables, sauce
- Packaging: box, napkins, cutlery
- Platform fee: commission from Deliveroo/Uber Eats
- Delivery costs: if you deliver yourself
- Extra costs: stickers, bags, heat-retaining foil
⚠️ Watch out:
Many ghost kitchens only calculate with ingredients and forget packaging. That can make your cost price 15-25% higher than expected.
Calculate your ingredient costs per burger
Begin with every ingredient that touches your burger:
💡 Example classic cheeseburger:
- Beef 150g: €2.10
- Brioche bun: €0.45
- Cheddar slice: €0.30
- Lettuce, tomato, onion: €0.25
- Sauces (mayo, ketchup): €0.15
- Fries 200g: €0.35
Total ingredients: €3.60
Don't skip micro-ingredients like salt, pepper, and cooking oil. They seem tiny per portion, but accumulate quickly across hundreds of orders.
Packaging costs per order
From analyzing actual purchasing data across different restaurant types, ghost kitchens face packaging expenses that traditional restaurants avoid:
- Burger box cardboard: €0.25-0.40 per piece
- Fries container: €0.15-0.25 per piece
- Plastic cutlery set: €0.08-0.12 per set
- Napkins: €0.03-0.05 per set
- Delivery bag: €0.12-0.18 per bag
- Stickers/labels: €0.05-0.08 per order
💡 Example packaging costs:
- Burger box: €0.35
- Fries container: €0.20
- Cutlery + napkin: €0.10
- Delivery bag: €0.15
- Sticker: €0.06
Total packaging: €0.86
Pass through platform fees
Delivery platforms extract 15-30% commission from your order value. You must embed these costs in your pricing structure, or every sale generates a loss.
Formula platform fee per burger:
Platform fee = (Selling price × Platform percentage) / 100
💡 Example platform fee calculation:
Burger selling price: €12.95
Deliveroo commission: 25%
Platform fee: €12.95 × 0.25 = €3.24
Some platforms tack on transaction fees (€0.15-0.30 per order) and marketing charges. Review your contract for precise costs.
Calculate total cost price
Combine all expense categories for your actual cost price:
Formula total cost price:
Cost price = Ingredients + Packaging + Platform fee + Delivery costs
💡 Complete cost price example:
- Ingredients: €3.60
- Packaging: €0.86
- Platform fee (25%): €3.24
- Own delivery: €0.00
Total cost price: €7.70
At selling price €12.95: food cost 59.5%
⚠️ Watch out:
A food cost of 60% is normal for ghost kitchens due to platform fees. Traditional restaurants keep it around 30%, but they have staff and rent costs.
Food cost percentage for ghost kitchens
Ghost kitchens operate with fundamentally different economics than brick-and-mortar restaurants:
- Traditional restaurant: 28-35% food cost, but with rent + service
- Ghost kitchen: 45-65% total costs (food + packaging + platform), but lower overhead
- Break-even point: around 65-70% total costs
Cross the 70% threshold and you're hemorrhaging money on that burger. Either increase your price or source cheaper ingredients.
Optimize your cost price
Four strategies to reduce your cost price while maintaining quality:
- Bulk packaging purchases: 20-30% cheaper in large quantities
- Own delivery: save platform fee, but need extra staff
- Minimum order value: spread fixed costs over more items
- Bundle deals: sell burger + fries + drink together
Tools like KitchenNmbrs automatically track these costs and reveal your real margin per dish.
How do you calculate the cost price of a ghost kitchen burger?
Gather all ingredient costs
Make a list of all ingredients in your burger including fries and sauces. Calculate the cost per portion by dividing purchase price by the number of portions from the package.
Add packaging costs
Calculate what burger box, fries container, cutlery, napkins and delivery bag cost per order. Don't forget stickers and labels - they cost money too.
Calculate platform fee
Multiply your selling price by the commission percentage of your delivery platform (usually 15-30%). This is a direct cost item you need to include.
Add everything together
Ingredients + packaging + platform fee = your real cost price. Divide this by your selling price for your food cost percentage.
✨ Pro tip
Track your top 5 burger variants' cost prices every 2 weeks during peak season. These items drive 70% of your revenue, so maintaining their profitability protects your entire operation.
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
Why is my food cost so high with delivery?
Platform fees of 15-30% inflate delivery burger costs far beyond restaurant levels. A food cost of 50-65% becomes standard for ghost kitchens since you eliminate rent and service staff expenses.
Should I include VAT in my cost price calculation?
Never include VAT in cost calculations. Your €12.95 selling price becomes €11.88 excluding 9% VAT. Divide your costs by this net amount for accurate food cost percentages.
How often should I recalculate my cost price?
Review ingredient prices and packaging costs monthly minimum. Suppliers adjust prices regularly, and platform fees shift without warning. Update your selling prices immediately when costs increase.
Can I avoid platform fees by doing my own delivery?
Yes, but you'll need dedicated delivery staff. Budget €3-5 per delivery covering wages, fuel and insurance costs. This often exceeds platform fees unless you achieve high delivery density per hour.
What if my cost price goes above 70%?
You're losing money on every single burger sold. Raise prices immediately, source cheaper ingredients, or increase minimum order values to distribute fixed costs across larger orders.
How do I calculate costs for limited-time seasonal burgers?
Use the same formula but factor in smaller ingredient purchases at higher unit costs. Seasonal items typically run 5-10% higher food costs due to premium ingredients and lower volume purchasing power.
Should I charge customers separately for premium packaging upgrades?
Absolutely charge extra for eco-friendly or branded packaging that costs 20-30% more than standard options. Make it an optional upgrade with €0.50-1.00 surcharge to protect margins while offering choice.
📚 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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