Most restaurant owners today face rising delivery costs without realizing where their profits disappear. Your lunch packages include ingredient costs, packaging expenses, and platform commissions that traditional dining never dealt with. These hidden expenses often inflate your actual food costs by 15-20% beyond what you calculated.
What makes delivery meals different?
Delivery orders pile on expenses that don't exist when customers eat at your tables. Skip these in your math, and you'll scratch your head wondering why busy order volumes don't translate to profits.
- Packaging costs: containers, bags, cutlery, napkins
- Platform fees: 15-30% of your order value goes to Deliveroo or Uber Eats
- Delivery costs: if you handle transport yourself
- Extended transport time: food must stay fresh during longer journeys
The complete cost breakdown
You can't price ingredients alone anymore. Each delivery meal demands a thorough cost analysis that captures those sneaky add-ons.
💡 Example:
Lunch package chicken salad - selling price €12.50 incl. VAT
- Ingredients: €3.20
- Packaging (container, dressing, cutlery): €0.60
- Platform fees (20% of €12.50): €2.50
Total costs: €6.30
Calculate your actual food cost this way:
- Selling price excl. VAT: €12.50 / 1.09 = €11.47
- Food cost: (€6.30 / €11.47) × 100 = 55%
⚠️ Note:
55% food cost looks frightening by restaurant standards, but it's standard for delivery. Platform fees push these percentages higher.
Packaging costs per meal
Many operators dismiss packaging as minor expenses. But these costs easily reach €0.50-€1.00 per order - a mistake that costs the average restaurant EUR 200-400 per month when you multiply that across hundreds of monthly deliveries.
💡 Example packaging costs:
- Salad container 750ml: €0.25
- Dressing cup: €0.08
- Plastic cutlery set: €0.12
- Paper bag: €0.15
Total packaging: €0.60
Including platform fees
Deliveroo, Uber Eats and similar platforms take 15-30% commission. Don't subtract this from profit - weave it into your cost structure from the start.
- Deliveroo: typically 20-25% + fixed costs
- Uber Eats: typically 15-30% depending on your agreement
- Own delivery: fuel + delivery driver wages
💡 Example calculation:
You sell via Deliveroo with 22% commission
- Order value: €15.00
- Commission: €15.00 × 0.22 = €3.30
- This must be included in your cost price calculation
Acceptable food cost for delivery
Delivery meals run higher food costs than dine-in service, and that's completely normal:
- Restaurant food cost: 28-35%
- Delivery food cost (incl. platform): 45-60%
- Own delivery: 35-45%
Higher food costs get offset by reduced labor expenses (no table service, minimal dishwashing).
Food cost tracking tools
A food cost calculator lets you monitor every expense per dish: ingredients, packaging and platform fees. You'll identify unprofitable lunch packages before they drain your margins.
How do you calculate the food cost of a delivery meal? (step by step)
Calculate all ingredient costs
Add up all the ingredients that go into your lunch package. Don't forget small things like dressing, spices and garnish. Calculate per portion that you actually serve.
Add packaging costs
Calculate what containers, cutlery, napkins and bags cost per order. This can add up to €0.50-€1.00 per meal. Stickers and tape also count.
Include platform fees
Multiply your selling price by the commission percentage of your delivery platform. For Deliveroo this is usually 20-25%, for Uber Eats 15-30%.
Calculate total food cost percentage
Add up ingredients + packaging + platform fees. Divide this by your selling price excl. VAT and multiply by 100 for the percentage.
✨ Pro tip
Calculate your packaging cost per meal every 2 weeks and track how it changes with order volume. Bulk purchasing can cut packaging expenses by 30-40% once you hit consistent daily orders.
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
Do I need to include VAT in my delivery food cost calculation?
No, always calculate with the price excluding VAT. For food that's 9% VAT. So €12.50 incl. becomes €12.50 / 1.09 = €11.47 excl. VAT.
Why is my food cost so high with delivery?
That's because of the platform fees (15-30%) and packaging costs that come with it. A food cost of 45-60% is normal for delivery meals, higher than the 28-35% in restaurants.
Do I need to include delivery costs in my cost price?
If you deliver yourself, yes. Then calculate fuel and delivery driver time. If the platform delivers, those costs are usually already included in the commission.
How can I lower my delivery food cost?
Look for cheaper packaging, negotiate platform fees, or raise your prices. More efficient recipes also help: cheaper ingredients, higher volume.
Are lunch packages still profitable with such high food costs?
Yes, because you have lower labor costs. No table service, less dishwashing, less cleaning. The higher food cost is compensated by lower labor costs.
What's the biggest mistake restaurants make with delivery pricing?
They use their dine-in prices and just add delivery on top. You need to rebuild your pricing from scratch, factoring in all platform fees and packaging costs upfront.
📚 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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