Picture this: you've crafted the perfect evening delivery menu, but your profit margins are mysteriously shrinking. Most restaurant owners overlook packaging costs and platform fees, unknowingly bleeding money with every order. Here's how to calculate your true delivery food costs and protect your bottom line.
What makes delivery food cost different?
Delivery comes with hidden expenses that don't exist for dine-in guests:
- Packaging costs (containers, bags, stickers)
- Platform fees (15-30% of your order value)
- Delivery costs (sometimes borne by the restaurant)
- Longer shelf life required (no direct serving)
⚠️ Watch out:
Many entrepreneurs only calculate ingredients and forget about packaging. A container costing €0.30 can increase your food cost by 2-3 percentage points.
Calculate your total ingredient costs
Start with every single ingredient that goes into the dish:
- Main ingredients
- Sauces and dressings
- Garnishes and decoration
- Oil, butter, spices
- Everything that goes on the plate
💡 Example:
Pasta carbonara for delivery:
- Pasta: €0.45
- Bacon: €1.20
- Eggs: €0.35
- Parmesan: €0.80
- Cream: €0.25
- Spices/oil: €0.15
Ingredients total: €3.20
Add packaging costs
Packaging isn't optional—it's part of your direct costs. From analyzing actual purchasing data across different restaurant types, packaging typically adds 8-15% to your ingredient costs. Include every single item:
- Main container or box
- Sauce containers (separately packaged)
- Plastic bag or paper bag
- Stickers, labels
- Cutlery (if you include this)
💡 Packaging example:
- Pasta container: €0.28
- Lid: €0.12
- Plastic bag: €0.05
- Sticker: €0.02
Packaging total: €0.47
Calculate your total cost price
Now add ingredients and packaging together. This gives you your total cost price per dish:
Total cost price = Ingredient costs + Packaging costs
💡 Example total cost price:
- Ingredients: €3.20
- Packaging: €0.47
Total cost price: €3.67
Calculate food cost percentage
For your food cost percentage, divide the total cost price by your selling price (excluding VAT). But here's the crucial part: you calculate with what you actually receive after platform fees.
Food cost % = (Total cost price / Net revenue excl. VAT) × 100
💡 Example food cost calculation:
Menu price on platform: €16.50 (incl. 9% VAT)
- Price excl. VAT: €16.50 / 1.09 = €15.14
- Platform fee (25%): €15.14 × 0.25 = €3.79
- Net revenue: €15.14 - €3.79 = €11.35
- Food cost: (€3.67 / €11.35) × 100 = 32.3%
⚠️ Watch out:
Platform fees vary per platform and can be 15-30%. Always check your actual revenue in your platform dashboard.
Acceptable food cost for delivery
Delivery food costs run higher than dine-in service, and that's normal:
- Restaurant service: 28-35%
- Delivery: 30-38%
- Reason: packaging costs + no table service
If you're hitting above 38%, that dish is likely losing money. Time to raise prices or tweak portion sizes.
Tools for delivery cost tracking
A food cost calculator like KitchenNmbrs lets you add packaging costs as ingredients to your recipes. You'll see total cost price including packaging instantly, with automatic food cost calculations.
You can also set different selling prices per sales channel (restaurant vs. delivery), so your margins stay accurate across all platforms.
How do you calculate food cost for delivery? (step by step)
Gather all ingredient costs
Make a list of all ingredients that go into the dish and calculate the costs per portion. Don't forget spices, oil, or garnishes.
Add packaging costs
Include all packaging materials: container, lid, bag, stickers. This is a direct part of your cost price for delivery.
Calculate your net revenue
Deduct platform fees from your selling price (excl. VAT). This is the amount you actually receive per dish.
Divide cost price by net revenue
Food cost % = (Total cost price / Net revenue) × 100. For delivery, 30-38% is acceptable.
✨ Pro tip
Track your actual platform revenue for 2 weeks rather than estimating fees. Platform commissions fluctuate based on promotions, peak hours, and order volume—using real data prevents costly miscalculations.
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 platform fees in my food cost calculation?
Absolutely. Always calculate with your net revenue after platform fees are deducted. Otherwise, your food cost percentage will look artificially low and mislead your pricing decisions.
What if I use different packaging for the same dish?
Calculate with your most frequently used packaging, or create separate cost calculations for each packaging type. Consistency matters more than perfection here.
How often should I check my delivery food cost?
Monthly reviews work for most restaurants. Platform fees and packaging costs can shift without warning, so regular monitoring prevents profit erosion.
Is 35% food cost too high for delivery?
For delivery, 35% is still workable due to extra packaging expenses. Above 38% becomes problematic for profitability.
Should evening delivery menus have different pricing than lunch?
Yes, evening orders often justify premium pricing due to higher demand and customer willingness to pay. Many restaurants add 15-25% to evening delivery prices.
How do I handle dishes with multiple sauce containers?
Count every container separately in your packaging costs. A dish with 3 sauce cups can add €0.40-0.60 to your total cost price, significantly impacting margins.
📚 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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