Evening-only dark kitchens face a brutal math problem: fewer hours to recover the same fixed costs. Your €2,000 rent gets squeezed into 6 hours instead of 12, while platforms still take their 15-30% cut. The margin calculation that works for traditional restaurants will mislead you completely.
Why evening-only dark kitchens calculate differently
Standard kitchens operate 10-12 hours daily. You're running maybe 6. Those fixed costs don't shrink just because you're closed during lunch — it's the kind of thing you only learn after closing your first month at a loss.
💡 Example cost structure:
Dark kitchen, Tuesday through Sunday only 17:00-23:00 (6 hours x 6 days = 36 hours/week)
- Rent: €2,000/month
- Energy: €400/month
- Insurance: €200/month
- Total fixed costs: €2,600/month
Per operating hour: €2,600 / (36 hours x 4.3 weeks) = €16.80/hour
Platform commissions hit harder than you think
Thuisbezorgd and Uber Eats don't negotiate. They want their 15-30%, and it comes straight off your top line. Food cost at 30% plus platform commission at 25% means 55% of revenue vanishes before you've paid rent or turned on the lights.
⚠️ Watch out:
Always calculate margins using net revenue after platform fees. Gross revenue calculations create dangerous illusions about profitability.
Packaging costs pile up fast
Containers, bags, cutlery, stickers, tape — €0.50 to €1.50 per order adds up. On smaller orders under €15, packaging can eat 10% of your order value before you've even started cooking.
💡 Example packaging costs:
Order of €18.00 (pasta + salad)
- Pasta container: €0.25
- Salad container: €0.20
- Cutlery: €0.15
- Bag + stickers: €0.10
Total packaging: €0.70 = 3.9% of order value
The real margin formula for dark kitchens
Forget the textbook formulas. For evening-only operations, you need this calculation:
Net margin % = ((Net revenue - Food cost - Packaging costs - Fixed costs per hour - Labor costs) / Net revenue) × 100
Net revenue equals gross revenue minus platform commission. Period.
💡 Complete example:
Evening revenue: €800 gross (6 hours)
- Platform commission (25%): €200
- Net revenue: €600
- Food cost (30%): €180
- Packaging costs: €40
- Fixed costs: 6 hours × €16.80 = €101
- Labor costs: €120
Profit: €600 - €180 - €40 - €101 - €120 = €159
Net margin: (€159 / €600) × 100 = 26.5%
Break-even calculations get trickier
Your break-even point sits higher than traditional restaurants. Fewer operating hours mean less time to recover those relentless fixed costs.
- Calculate total fixed costs per evening (rent, energy, insurance, equipment depreciation)
- Add labor costs for each shift
- Divide by your realistic margin percentage after all deductions
Seasonal swings can destroy cash flow
Delivery orders spike during winter and bad weather. But summer? Especially sunny evenings? Revenue drops 30-50% as people eat out or cook at home. Most operators underestimate this seasonal brutality.
⚠️ Watch out:
Bank your winter profits to survive summer months. Cash flow planning becomes critical for evening-only concepts.
Track everything with proper tools
Tools like KitchenNmbrs let you record every cost component — food, packaging, platform fees — per dish. You'll spot which menu items actually make money in your compressed operating window and which ones are bleeding cash after all deductions.
How do you calculate your dark kitchen margin? (step by step)
Calculate your fixed costs per operating hour
Add up rent, energy, insurance, and other fixed monthly costs. Divide by the number of hours you're open per month. These are your fixed costs per hour.
Calculate your net revenue after platform commission
Subtract the platform commission (15-30%) from your gross revenue. This is your real revenue that needs to cover all costs.
Add up all variable costs
Food cost + packaging costs + labor costs for that evening. Don't forget any cost item, no matter how small.
Calculate your net margin
Subtract all costs from your net revenue. Divide the result by your net revenue and multiply by 100 to get your margin percentage.
✨ Pro tip
Track your hourly revenue patterns for 30 days straight. Most evening-only kitchens see 70% of orders between 18:30-21:00, so optimize your entire operation around those peak 2.5 hours.
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 margin should I target for evening-only dark kitchens?
Aim for 20-25% net margin minimum due to compressed operating hours. Anything below 15% puts you in survival mode, not growth mode.
How do I handle different commission rates across platforms?
Calculate a weighted average based on your order volume. If Thuisbezorgd delivers 60% of orders at 25% commission and Uber Eats handles 40% at 30%, your blended rate is 27%.
Should I calculate margins including or excluding VAT?
Always exclude VAT from margin calculations. That money belongs to the tax authority, not your bottom line.
How often should I recalculate my margins?
Monthly at minimum, immediately after any supplier price changes or platform fee adjustments. Delivery margins shift faster than traditional restaurant economics.
📚 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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