Think of your ghost kitchen like a highway during rush hour – no matter how many cars want to get through, the bottleneck determines the flow. Many entrepreneurs underestimate their processing power and either order too many ingredients or miss revenue opportunities. Here's how to calculate your actual capacity and align your revenue targets accordingly.
Why capacity calculation matters
Ghost kitchens run on pure efficiency. You don't have tables that stay occupied all evening, but you're limited by how many orders you can prepare simultaneously. Misjudge this and you'll either miss revenue or create unhappy customers with endless wait times.
⚠️ Watch out:
Platform algorithms (Thuisbezorgd, Uber Eats) penalize long preparation times. Consistently slow service means less visibility and fewer orders.
The 3 limiting factors
Your maximum revenue gets determined by the weakest link:
- Kitchen equipment: How much can you cook simultaneously on the grill/in the oven/fryer?
- Staff: How many orders can your team assemble per hour?
- Delivery: How quickly can drivers pick up completed orders?
The slowest of these three sets your ceiling.
Calculate your kitchen capacity
Start with your most critical equipment. For most ghost kitchens, that's the oven, grill, or fryer.
💡 Example:
Burger shop with 2 grills:
- Per grill: 8 burgers at once
- Cooking time: 6 minutes
- Total per cycle: 16 burgers
Hourly output: (60 ÷ 6) × 16 = 160 burgers
Run this calculation for all your main dishes. The dish with the lowest capacity becomes your bottleneck.
Staff as a bottleneck
Even with sufficient equipment, your team can be the limiting factor. Time how long it takes to complete one full order:
- Gathering and preparing ingredients
- Cooking/baking/grilling
- Assembling and packaging
- Order ready for pickup
💡 Example:
Asian cuisine with 1 chef:
- Average order: 2 dishes
- Prep time per order: 8 minutes
- Packaging: 2 minutes
Hourly maximum: 60 ÷ 10 = 6 orders
From capacity to revenue
Once you know your maximum orders per hour, calculating theoretical revenue becomes straightforward:
Max hourly revenue = Orders per hour × Average order value
💡 Example:
Pizzeria capacity:
- Maximum: 20 pizzas hourly
- Average order value: €24.50
- Operating hours: 12 hours/day, 6 days/week
Theoretical weekly max: 20 × €24.50 × 12 × 6 = €35,280
Realistic revenue vs. theoretical maximum
You'll never hit your theoretical maximum. Factor in these realities:
- Slow periods: Not every hour brings peak demand
- Cancellations: 5-10% of orders get cancelled
- Breaks and cleaning: You can't run non-stop for 12 hours
- Delivery delays: Drivers sometimes create pickup bottlenecks
From years of working in professional kitchens, I've seen that realistic revenue typically falls between 60-80% of theoretical maximum.
⚠️ Watch out:
Consistently running above 85% capacity leads to quality problems and customer complaints.
Increase capacity
If capacity limits your revenue, consider these options:
- Additional equipment: Second oven, grill, or fryer
- Extra staff: Second chef during peak hours
- Efficient mise-en-place: Prepare more components in advance
- Menu optimization: Focus on quick dishes during busy periods
Calculate ROI first: if an extra oven costs €3,000 and generates €1,000 additional monthly revenue, you'll break even in 3 months.
Tools for capacity planning
Food cost calculators like KitchenNmbrs let you record preparation time per dish and automatically calculate maximum capacity. You'll also see which dishes generate the most revenue per minute of prep time – valuable for menu optimization.
How do you calculate the maximum revenue of your ghost kitchen?
Measure your kitchen capacity per piece of equipment
Determine for each main piece of equipment (oven, grill, fryer) how many portions you can prepare at the same time and how long one cycle takes. Then calculate how many portions per hour are possible.
Test your staff capacity
Measure during a busy period how many complete orders your team can assemble and package per hour. This is often the limiting factor, not the equipment.
Determine your bottleneck and calculate maximum
The lowest capacity (equipment or staff) is your maximum. Multiply this by your average order value and opening hours for your theoretical maximum revenue.
Correct for realistic revenue
Subtract 20-40% from your theoretical maximum for slow periods, breaks, and unforeseen delays. This is your actual maximum revenue.
✨ Pro tip
Track your actual output during your peak 2-hour window (typically 6-8 PM on Friday nights) for 3 consecutive weeks. This gives you real-world capacity data under maximum stress conditions.
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 if my delivery drivers are the limiting factor?
Then you lack sufficient delivery capacity. Work with multiple platforms (Thuisbezorgd, Uber Eats) or add your own delivery drivers. Your kitchen can handle more orders than what's being picked up.
How often should I recalculate my capacity?
Recalculate after major changes: new equipment, additional staff, or significant menu modifications. Review quarterly at minimum to verify your assumptions still hold true.
Can I increase capacity without extra costs?
Yes, through smart mise-en-place and menu optimization. Focus on dishes that are quick to prepare with high margins. Remove time-consuming items during peak hours.
📚 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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