Your own delivery service can be an extra revenue stream, but financial feasibility depends on many factors. Most restaurant owners assume they'll automatically save money by ditching third-party platforms. That's rarely the case without proper cost analysis.
Why consider your own delivery service?
Platforms like Thuisbezorgd and Uber Eats charge 15-30% commission. With your own delivery service, you keep more margin, but you cover all costs yourself. The real question: does the extra margin outweigh the extra costs?
💡 Example:
Restaurant with €5,000 delivery revenue per month via Thuisbezorgd:
- Commission 25%: €1,250/month
- Net revenue: €3,750/month
- Annual commission: €15,000
Question: can you set up your own delivery for less than €15,000/year?
All costs of your own delivery
Your own delivery service brings more costs than just a delivery driver. You need to account for everything:
- Staff: delivery drivers, coordination, planning
- Vehicles: purchase/lease, maintenance, insurance
- Fuel: gasoline or electricity
- Technology: ordering app, route planning, payments
- Marketing: acquiring customers for your own channel
- Administration: accounting, taxes, HR
⚠️ Watch out:
Many entrepreneurs forget indirect costs like administration, insurance, and planning time. These can make up 30-50% of your direct costs.
Break-even calculation per delivery
To be profitable, each delivery must at least cover its own costs. The formula:
Minimum margin per delivery = Total monthly costs / Number of deliveries per month
💡 Example calculation:
Monthly costs for your own delivery:
- Delivery driver (20 hours/week at €15): €1,300
- Scooter lease + insurance: €200
- Fuel: €150
- App/technology: €100
- Administration (10% overhead): €175
Total: €1,925/month
At 200 deliveries/month: €1,925 / 200 = €9.63 per delivery
Subscription model vs. per-order model
A subscription delivery service works differently than individual orders. Customers pay upfront for X deliveries per month. This has pros and cons:
- Advantage: predictable revenue, customer loyalty
- Disadvantage: you must deliver even with low order values
- Risk: customers order more than expected
Calculate minimum subscription price
For a subscription, you need to calculate average costs per delivery, plus a profit margin. The formula looks like this:
Subscription price = (Cost per delivery × Number of deliveries) × (1 + Desired margin%)
💡 Example subscription:
Subscription for 8 deliveries per month:
- Cost per delivery: €9.63
- 8 deliveries: €77.04
- Desired margin 20%: €77.04 × 1.20 = €92.45
Minimum subscription price: €95/month
Customer acquisition and retention
Your own delivery service means you acquire customers yourself. Platforms bring traffic; now you need to do that. Budget for:
- Acquisition costs: €20-50 per new customer (ads, promotions)
- Retention rate: how many customers renew their subscription?
- Lifetime value: how long does an average customer stay?
⚠️ Watch out:
If your retention rate is low (below 60%), customer acquisition becomes too expensive. You'll constantly be hunting for new customers instead of serving existing ones.
Financial feasibility criteria
One of the most common blind spots in kitchen management is underestimating the true break-even point for delivery operations. Your own delivery service is financially feasible if:
- You can guarantee at least 150-200 deliveries per month
- Your average order value is above €25
- Your customer retention is at least 60%
- Your total cost per delivery stays below platform commission
For smaller volumes, it's often better to stick with platforms and focus your energy on increasing order value and food cost optimization.
How do you calculate feasibility? (step by step)
Inventory all monthly costs
Add up: staff, vehicle, fuel, technology, insurance, and administration. Don't forget indirect costs like planning and accounting. This gives you your total monthly costs.
Calculate cost per delivery
Divide your total monthly costs by the expected number of deliveries. This is your break-even point per delivery. Add 15-25% profit margin for unexpected costs.
Compare with platform commissions
Calculate what you currently pay in Thuisbezorgd/Uber Eats commissions per month. If your own costs are lower and you can maintain order volume, your own delivery is feasible.
Test with a pilot project
Start small with a limited area and regular customers. Measure your actual costs and retention rates. Adjust your calculation based on real data.
✨ Pro tip
Test your delivery economics with a 90-day pilot program serving just 50 regular customers. Track every cost down to the cent - most operators discover their real cost per delivery is 40% higher than initial estimates.
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 is a realistic retention rate for subscription delivery?
For local restaurants, this is usually between 50-70%. You get higher retention through consistent quality, flexible subscriptions, and good customer service.
How do I prevent customers from ordering too much with a subscription?
Set clear limits: maximum number of deliveries per week, minimum order amount, or work with credits that customers can save for larger orders.
What technology do I minimally need?
An ordering system (app or website), payment processing, and route planning. Simple solutions cost €50-150/month, more complex systems €300+/month.
📚 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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