Peak delivery times often require extra staff, but that cuts into your margin. Quiet periods run smoothly with minimal crew, yet busy hours demand additional hands - and those wages add up fast. Most dark kitchens struggle to track these variable costs accurately.
What are peak time costs in delivery?
Peak time costs arise when you deploy extra staff during busy periods. These typically include:
- Extra cook during evening rush (18:00-21:00)
- Additional delivery driver for in-house delivery
- Overtime premiums for existing staff
- Temp workers for unexpected rushes
These costs are variable and stack on top of your regular staffing expenses.
Calculate your extra staffing costs per hour
Start by figuring out what additional staff actually costs you per hour:
💡 Example calculation:
Extra cook during evening rush (3 hours):
- Gross hourly wage: €15.00
- Employer contributions (30%): €4.50
- Total per hour: €19.50
- 3 hours peak time: €58.50
Extra costs per evening: €58.50
Add up all additional staffing costs during peak periods. Don't overlook:
- Employer contributions (average 25-35%)
- Overtime premiums (often 150% of normal rate)
- Temp agency costs (usually 40-60% markup)
Divide extra costs across number of orders
Now spread these additional costs across the orders you process during peak times:
💡 Example breakdown:
Friday evening (18:00-21:00):
- Extra staffing costs: €58.50
- Number of orders in 3 hours: 45
- Extra cost per order: €58.50 ÷ 45 = €1.30
Each order needs to generate an extra €1.30 to break even
Formula: Extra cost per order = Total additional staffing costs ÷ Number of orders during peak time
Compensate through pricing or surcharges
You've got three options to offset peak time costs:
Option 1: Fixed surcharge during peak times
- €1.50 surcharge on all dishes from 18:00-21:00
- Communicate this clearly: "Evening surcharge €1.50"
- Advantage: transparent and fair
Option 2: Higher menu prices during peak time
- Increase all prices by €1.50 during busy hours
- Platforms like Uber Eats support time-based pricing
- Disadvantage: may deter customers
Option 3: Absorb into average margin
- Increase all prices structurally by €0.75
- This compensates peak time losses with quiet periods
- Advantage: no fluctuating prices
⚠️ Note:
Verify if your delivery platforms allow time-based pricing. Not all platforms support this feature.
Calculate the impact on your total margin
Finally, calculate what peak time costs do to your monthly margin. From analyzing actual purchasing data across different restaurant types, this impact varies significantly by operation size:
💡 Monthly impact:
Dark kitchen with peak time staff:
- Extra costs Friday + Saturday: €117 per week
- 4.3 weeks per month: €503
- Monthly revenue: €25,000
- Impact on margin: €503 ÷ €25,000 = 2.0%
Peak time staff costs you 2% of your revenue
If you don't offset these costs through pricing, it comes straight off your profit. With a net margin of 8%, you'd be left with just 6%.
Alternatives to extra staff
Consider these options to limit peak time costs:
- Prep more in advance: Expand mise-en-place to assemble faster
- Simpler menu during peak times: Temporarily fewer complex dishes
- Maximum orders per hour: Limit yourself to what your fixed team can handle
- Higher minimum order value: Fewer orders, but higher average check
Food cost tracking systems help you monitor these calculations and see if your compensation strategy works.
How do you calculate the margin impact of peak time staff?
Calculate total extra staffing costs
Add hourly wage plus employer contributions (25-35%) for all extra employees. Multiply by number of peak hours. Don't forget to include overtime premiums and temp agency costs.
Divide by number of orders during peak time
Count how many orders you process during the hours with extra staff. Divide your extra costs by this number to calculate the impact per order.
Choose compensation strategy
Decide whether you'll charge a surcharge during peak times, increase your prices structurally, or absorb the costs into your average margin. Calculate the monthly impact on your overall profitability.
✨ Pro tip
Track your Friday evening orders for 4 consecutive weeks - most kitchens find they can handle 75% of peak demand through better prep scheduling without adding a second cook, saving €240+ monthly.
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 percentage of employer contributions should I calculate for extra staff?
Calculate an average of 30% employer contributions on top of the gross hourly wage. This covers social premiums, holiday pay, and other mandatory costs. With temp workers, you pay this through the temp agency.
Can I set different prices for different times of day?
Many delivery platforms like Uber Eats support time-based pricing. Thuisbezorgd has more limited options. Check your platform's settings or contact your account manager.
What if customers avoid ordering due to higher peak time prices?
Test small surcharges of €0.50-€1.00 first. Monitor your order volume and total revenue. Sometimes it's better to process fewer orders with healthy margins than many orders at a loss.
How do I calculate if extra staff pays for itself?
Compare your revenue per hour with and without extra staff. If the extra revenue exceeds the additional staffing costs, it pays for itself. Also factor in your average food cost percentage.
Do I need to calculate VAT on peak time surcharges?
Yes, surcharges on food fall under the 9% VAT rate. A €1.50 surcharge including VAT is €1.38 excluding VAT. Always calculate with amounts excluding VAT for your cost price calculations.
Should I hire permanent staff or use temp workers for peak times?
Temp workers offer flexibility but cost 40-60% more per hour. If you need extra help more than 15 hours per week consistently, permanent part-time staff becomes more economical.
📚 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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