Platform commissions eat away at your children's menu profits faster than you'd expect. You're working with lower prices but identical delivery costs as adult dishes. Delivery platforms don't care about your €8 kids' meal – they still take their full cut.
Why children's menus create delivery headaches
Kids' meals typically run €8-12 while adult mains hit €16-25. But here's the kicker: delivery expenses stay identical across the board. Platform fees, packaging costs, and delivery shares slice through your already-thin margins mercilessly.
⚠️ Note:
Thuisbezorgd and Uber Eats charge 15-30% commission on the full order value, including children's menus at €8.
Every cost hitting your delivered kids' menu
Smart margin calculations require tracking all these expenses:
- Ingredients: reduced portions using identical base ingredients
- Packaging: individual containers, utensils, napkins
- Platform commission: percentage slice of menu price
- Payment fees: 2-3% transaction cost
- Preparation: staff time (typically lower per serving)
💡 Example: Children's pasta menu
Selling price: €9.50 incl. 9% VAT (= €8.72 excl. VAT)
- Ingredients: €2.10 (pasta, sauce, cheese)
- Packaging: €0.35 (container, lid, cutlery)
- Platform commission (25%): €2.18
- Payment fees (2.5%): €0.22
- Labor (5 min at €18/hour): €1.50
Total costs: €6.35
Margin: €8.72 - €6.35 = €2.37 (27%)
Food cost versus complete delivery margin
Delivery operations demand you examine total margin after every delivery expense – not just ingredient costs. Based on real restaurant P&L data, children's menus with 25% food costs often turn unprofitable once platform fees hit.
💡 Comparison: same dish, different sales channel
Children's pasta menu in restaurant vs. delivery:
- Restaurant: €7.50 - €2.10 ingredients = €5.40 margin (72%)
- Delivery: €8.72 - €6.35 total costs = €2.37 margin (27%)
Delivery generates €3.03 less margin per children's menu.
Calculate minimum selling price
Targeting at least 35% margin on delivered kids' meals? Use this calculation:
Minimum selling price = (Ingredients + Packaging + Labor) / (1 - Platform commission% - Desired margin%)
💡 Minimum price calculation
Direct costs: €2.10 + €0.35 + €1.50 = €3.95
Platform: 25%, desired margin: 35%
Minimum price excl. VAT: €3.95 / (1 - 0.25 - 0.35) = €9.88
Minimum menu price: €9.88 × 1.09 = €10.77
Tactics for healthier margins
- Bundling: mandate drink or dessert additions with kids' meals
- Minimum order value: restrict children's menus to orders exceeding €25
- Own delivery: eliminate platform fees but absorb direct delivery costs
- Pickup discount: reduced pickup pricing drives better margins
Tools for delivery margin tracking
A food cost calculator (like KitchenNmbrs) automatically computes your per-dish margins including all delivery expenses. You'll instantly spot which children's menus generate profit and which need pricing adjustments or removal.
How do you calculate the margin on a delivered children's menu?
Gather all direct costs
Add up: ingredient costs, packaging costs and labor time. For a children's pasta: €2.10 ingredients + €0.35 packaging + €1.50 labor = €3.95 direct costs.
Calculate platform costs
Multiply your selling price by the commission percentage of the delivery platform (usually 15-30%). At €9.50 and 25% commission: €9.50 × 0.25 = €2.38 platform costs.
Determine your net margin
Subtract all costs from your selling price excl. VAT. €8.72 (excl. VAT) - €3.95 (direct) - €2.38 (platform) - €0.22 (payment) = €2.17 net margin (25%).
✨ Pro tip
Track your delivery orders over the next 30 days – if children's menus exceed 15% of total orders, implement a €20 minimum order value immediately. This protects your overall order profitability.
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
Why is the margin on children's menus lower than on adult dishes?
Kids' menus carry lower selling prices but identical fixed expenses: platform commissions, packaging, and delivery fees. This dramatically reduces your margin percentage compared to higher-priced adult entrees.
Should I charge 9% or 21% VAT on children's menus?
Children's menus qualify as food items, so 9% VAT applies. This rate covers both delivery and pickup orders. Only alcoholic beverages require 21% VAT.
Can I make children's menus profitable on delivery?
Absolutely, through strategic bundling (mandatory drinks), minimum order requirements, or adjusted pricing. Many successful restaurants price delivered kids' meals at €10-13 to preserve healthy margins.
How often should I adjust my delivery prices?
Review margins monthly, particularly after supplier price increases. Delivery expenses climb faster than dine-in costs, making regular assessments crucial for profitability.
Should I calculate packaging costs separately per children's menu?
Yes, packaging represents a direct per-dish expense. Budget €0.25-0.50 for containers, lids, utensils, and napkins. This can consume 5-6% of your total selling price.
What's the break-even point for adding kids' meals to delivery platforms?
You need at least 8-10 children's menu orders weekly to justify the menu setup and ingredient inventory costs. Below this threshold, the administrative overhead often exceeds profits.
📚 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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