Picking the wrong dishes to advertise on delivery platforms burns through your marketing budget fast. Thuisbezorgd, Uber Eats and similar platforms reveal exactly which dishes generate real profit after their hefty commissions. Smart analysis of this data ensures your ad spend targets dishes that actually make money.
Why platform data matters for your ad strategy
Delivery platforms grab 15-30% commission from every single order. Your food costs jump higher than in-house dining. Advertising low-margin dishes means you're bleeding money twice: paying for ads AND earning minimal profit per order.
💡 Example:
Your pasta carbonara costs €6.50 in ingredients and is listed for €18.50 on the platform:
- Sale price excl. VAT: €16.97
- Platform commission (25%): €4.24
- Net receipt: €12.73
- Food cost: €6.50 / €12.73 = 51%
That's way too high for profitable ads.
Essential data points from each platform
Access your Thuisbezorgd, Uber Eats or other platform dashboard and gather these metrics for each dish:
- Weekly order volume - reveals true popularity
- Customer ratings - impacts algorithm visibility
- Conversion rates - shows ordering likelihood after viewing
- Reorder frequency - indicates customer satisfaction
- Peak ordering times - identifies optimal promotion windows
Calculate real margins after all deductions
For every potential ad dish, crunch the numbers on actual profitability after platform fees:
💡 Example calculation:
Burger menu for €22.00 on Uber Eats:
- Sale price excl. VAT: €20.18
- Platform commission (30%): €6.05
- Packaging costs: €1.20
- Net receipt: €12.93
- Ingredient costs: €7.50
- Profit per order: €5.43
Profit margin: 42% - suitable for promotion
⚠️ Note:
Don't overlook packaging expenses. Containers, bags and branded stickers average €0.80-€1.50 per order and slice your margins thin.
Spot your promotional goldmine dishes
The most effective platform ad dishes tick three boxes:
- Solid profit margins - 35% minimum after all deductions
- Strong ratings - 4.3+ stars for algorithm advantages
- Consistent demand - 10+ weekly orders minimum
Create a shortlist of dishes hitting all three targets. These become your advertising arsenal.
Most kitchen managers discover too late that their "bestsellers" often have razor-thin margins that can't support ad spending. The data reveals which dishes actually fund your growth.
Launch small-budget tests first
Begin with €5-10 daily per dish to identify top performers. After one week, analyze:
- Additional orders generated
- Cost per acquired order
- Net profit after advertising expenses
💡 Example ROI calculation:
€50 ad budget generated 15 extra orders of your burger:
- Ad cost per order: €3.33
- Profit per burger: €5.43
- Net profit per order: €2.10
- Total extra profit: 15 × €2.10 = €31.50
Negative ROI - stop this ad
Scale winners, kill losers
Focus your budget on dishes delivering the strongest ROI after testing. Gradually boost spending for profitable ads while cutting money-losing promotions immediately.
Many operators rely on tools like KitchenNmbrs to automatically track real margins per dish, factoring in platform commissions and packaging expenses. This streamlines the process of identifying profitable advertising opportunities.
How do you analyze platform data for ad decisions?
Collect data from your delivery platforms
Log into your Thuisbezorgd, Uber Eats or other dashboards. Note per dish: number of orders per week, average rating, and conversion ratio. This data shows which dishes are already popular.
Calculate actual margin per dish
Subtract from your sale price (excl. VAT): platform commission, packaging costs and ingredient costs. This gives you actual profit per order. Dishes under 35% margin are usually not suitable for ads.
Test ads with small budget
Start with €5-10 per day for your best dishes (high margin + good rating). Measure after 1 week the ad costs per extra order and compare with your profit per dish. Stop ads that lose money.
✨ Pro tip
Pull 30-day performance data and identify dishes with 4.4+ star ratings that sell 8-15 times weekly. These underperformers with excellent quality scores respond best to targeted ad campaigns.
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 minimum profit margin do I need for profitable ads?
You need at least 35% profit margin after platform commissions, packaging, and ingredient costs. This cushion allows for ad spending while maintaining decent profit per order.
How often should I review my ad dish performance?
Check performance every 2 weeks minimum. Ingredient prices fluctuate, seasonal demand shifts, and competition changes constantly. Last month's winner might be this month's money pit.
Should I advertise my most popular dishes?
Not necessarily. Popular items often sell well organically without ad support. Target high-margin dishes that need visibility boosts to reach their sales potential.
How do I prevent ad costs from destroying my profit?
Set strict cost-per-order limits based on your margins. If a dish generates €4 profit, cap ad spending at €2 per order maximum. This protects your €2 net profit floor.
📚 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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