How much profit are you actually making on that pasta carbonara sold through Thuisbezorgd? Platform fees, packaging costs and higher prices make delivery margins trickier than restaurant calculations. Here's how to get the real numbers on your comfort food margins.
Why delivery margin is different
Delivery creates extra costs that eat into your profits:
- Platform fees: 15-30% of your order value goes to Thuisbezorgd
- Packaging costs: boxes, bags, stickers cost €0.50-€2.00 per order
- Higher prices: you often charge 20-40% more than in your restaurant
- No table service: this saves costs, but platform fees more than compensate
⚠️ Note:
Many entrepreneurs forget to include the platform fee in their margin calculation. Then your margin looks 25% higher than it actually is.
The complete margin formula for delivery
For accurate margin calculations, use this formula:
Margin % = ((Selling price - Platform fee - Ingredients - Packaging) / Selling price) × 100
💡 Example: Pasta Carbonara
You sell pasta carbonara for €16.50 via Thuisbezorgd:
- Selling price: €16.50
- Platform fee (20%): €3.30
- Ingredients: €4.80
- Packaging: €0.75
Calculation: ((€16.50 - €3.30 - €4.80 - €0.75) / €16.50) × 100
Margin: 46.7%
Platform fees per delivery partner
Different platforms charge different fees:
- Thuisbezorgd: 13-35% (depending on contract and services)
- Uber Eats: 15-30% commission
- Deliveroo: 20-35% commission
- Own delivery: 0% platform fee, but own delivery costs
Check your contract for the exact percentage. This varies per restaurant and volume.
Packaging costs per dish
Include all packaging in your cost price:
💡 Example: Packaging costs burger menu
A burger menu has these packaging costs:
- Burger box: €0.35
- Fries container: €0.25
- Sauce cups (2x): €0.20
- Napkin + cutlery: €0.15
- Carry bag: €0.10
Total packaging: €1.05
Comfort food: typical margins
Comfort food often has lower ingredient costs, which helps with delivery:
- Pizza: ingredient costs 15-25%, margin after platform fee 35-45%
- Burgers: ingredient costs 25-35%, margin after platform fee 25-35%
- Pasta: ingredient costs 20-30%, margin after platform fee 30-40%
- Asian: ingredient costs 25-35%, margin after platform fee 25-35%
⚠️ Note:
A margin of 25% after platform fees is the absolute minimum. Below that, you'll lose money due to extra operational costs of delivery.
Pricing strategy for delivery platforms
Most restaurants use this approach:
- Basic rule: delivery price = restaurant price × 1.3 to 1.4
- Round amounts: €16.50 instead of €16.23 (psychologically better)
- Bundling: menus are relatively cheaper than individual items
- Minimum order: set this high enough to cover fixed costs
Most kitchen managers discover too late that they need to track these costs separately from their regular menu. The math looks simple until you realize platform fees compound with every order.
💡 Example: Pizza pricing strategy
A Margherita pizza costs €12.50 in your restaurant:
- Restaurant price: €12.50
- Delivery price: €12.50 × 1.35 = €16.90
- Rounded: €16.95
This compensates for platform fees and packaging costs.
Digital tools for margin control
Manually tracking delivery margins takes considerable time. A system like KitchenNmbrs helps by:
- Automatically including platform fees in your margin calculation
- Recording packaging costs per dish
- Maintaining different prices per platform
- Providing real-time insight into your actual margin per order
This gives you immediate visibility into dish profitability via delivery, without manual calculations.
How do you calculate the margin on delivery menus? (step by step)
Gather all costs per dish
Note the ingredient costs, packaging costs and the platform fee percentage. Check your contract with Thuisbezorgd for the exact commission percentage.
Calculate the total costs
Add ingredients + packaging. Calculate the platform fee: selling price × fee percentage. Add everything together.
Calculate your margin percentage
Subtract all costs from your selling price. Divide this by your selling price and multiply by 100. This is your actual margin.
Check if it's profitable
A margin below 25% is too low for delivery. Then increase your price or choose cheaper ingredients or packaging.
✨ Pro tip
Track your top 3 comfort food dishes weekly for the first month after launch. These items typically drive 60% of your delivery volume, so getting their margins right sets your foundation.
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 platform fee percentage should I calculate?
This is in your contract with the delivery platform. Thuisbezorgd usually charges 13-35%, Uber Eats 15-30%. Check your monthly statement for the exact percentage.
Should I include VAT in the margin calculation?
No, always calculate excluding VAT. The price on Thuisbezorgd includes 9% VAT for food. Divide by 1.09 to get the price excluding VAT.
Are my delivery prices too high if they're 30% above my restaurant prices?
No, that's normal. Platform fees of 20-30% plus extra packaging costs justify this increase. Customers expect this with delivery.
What if my margin turns out too low?
Increase your selling price, choose cheaper packaging, or switch platforms. A margin below 25% after all costs is too little for a healthy delivery operation.
📚 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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