Choosing delivery dishes is like picking players for a sports team - not every star performer in your dining room will shine on the delivery field. Platform fees of 15-30% and packaging costs can turn your most profitable dine-in dishes into money losers. The math changes completely once you factor in these hidden costs.
Why delivery margins work differently
Delivery completely reshapes your cost structure. You're dealing with platform commissions, packaging expenses, and different customer expectations - all while losing the upsell opportunities that come with table service.
⚠️ Heads up:
A dish that has 35% food cost in your restaurant can suddenly become unprofitable with delivery due to platform fees and packaging costs.
The delivery margin formula
Forget your standard food cost calculations. For delivery, you need to account for every variable cost that eats into your revenue:
Delivery margin % = ((Selling price - Platform fee - Packaging - Food cost) / Selling price) × 100
💡 Example: Pasta Carbonara
Selling price on delivery platform: €16.50
- Platform fee (25%): €4.13
- Packaging: €0.85
- Food cost: €4.20
Net revenue: €16.50 - €4.13 - €0.85 - €4.20 = €7.32
Delivery margin: 44.4%
Packaging costs per dish type
Packaging expenses vary wildly depending on what you're serving. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, I've seen these costs consistently impact margins more than owners expect:
- Pasta/rice: €0.60-€0.90 (container + lid + bag)
- Pizza: €0.40-€0.65 (box)
- Salad: €0.85-€1.20 (container + separate dressing cup)
- Soup: €0.90-€1.35 (leak-proof cup + lid + bag)
- Fries: €0.45-€0.75 (container + sauce cups)
Platform fee comparison strategy
Each platform takes a different bite out of your revenue. Don't assume they're all the same - the difference can make or break a dish's profitability:
💡 Example: Same dish, different platforms
Burger €18.00 - food cost €5.40 - packaging €0.75
- Platform A (20% fee): net €8.85 = 49% margin
- Platform B (28% fee): net €7.41 = 41% margin
- Own delivery (0% fee): net €11.85 = 66% margin
What makes a delivery winner?
The dishes that dominate delivery have specific traits. You can't just throw your regular menu online and hope for the best:
- Low food cost: under 30% (your usual 35% restaurant threshold won't cut it)
- Minimal packaging: pizza beats soup every time
- Transport-friendly: tastes the same after 20 minutes in a bag
- Higher price points: platform fees hurt less on expensive items
💡 Example comparison:
Which dish generates more revenue at 25% platform fee?
- Pizza €22: €22 - €5.50 - €0.50 - €4.80 = €11.20 net
- Salad €14: €14 - €3.50 - €1.10 - €3.20 = €6.20 net
Pizza generates €5 more per order
Setting your minimum margin threshold
Delivery requires different margin targets than dine-in service. You've got lower labor costs but higher platform expenses - aim for 40-50% margins after all variable costs.
⚠️ Heads up:
Dishes under 35% delivery margin are often unprofitable. You still have kitchen costs, rent, and other fixed expenses.
Calculation tools and shortcuts
Running these numbers manually for every dish will drive you crazy. Food cost calculators can instantly show you which items actually make money on delivery platforms, factoring in all the fees and packaging costs automatically.
How do you calculate the best delivery dishes? (step by step)
Gather all costs per dish
Note for each dish: food cost, packaging costs, and the selling price on each delivery platform. You'll find platform fees in your dashboard or invoices.
Calculate the net revenue
Subtract from the selling price: platform fee + packaging costs + food cost. This is what's left for your fixed costs and profit.
Calculate the delivery margin percentage
Divide the net revenue by the selling price and multiply by 100. Dishes above 40% margin are usually profitable.
Rank your dishes
Sort your dishes from highest to lowest delivery margin. Focus your marketing on the top 5 most profitable dishes.
Test and optimize
Raise prices on popular but less profitable dishes, or replace unprofitable dishes with profitable alternatives.
✨ Pro tip
Analyze your top 8 delivery sellers over the past 30 days and calculate their actual margins including all fees. You'll often find that your most popular items are bleeding money while less flashy dishes generate serious profit.
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
Should I charge different prices for delivery than in my restaurant?
Absolutely. Most successful restaurants price delivery 10-20% higher to offset platform fees. Customers expect this - they're paying for convenience and understand the extra costs involved.
Which dishes usually fail on delivery platforms?
Anything that gets soggy during transport, requires expensive packaging, or has high food costs. Items under €12 often don't generate enough revenue to cover platform fees. Fresh fish dishes and complex salads are common casualties.
How often should I recalculate my delivery margins?
Monthly reviews are essential. Platform fees change, packaging costs fluctuate, and ingredient prices shift constantly. Many restaurants discover they've been losing money for months without realizing it.
Is running my own delivery always more profitable than using platforms?
Not necessarily. You eliminate platform fees but add driver wages, vehicle costs, and insurance. For most restaurants doing under 30 deliveries daily, platforms are actually cheaper despite the commission.
📚 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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