Menu engineering for delivery menus combines dish popularity with profitability, but adds extra factors like platform fees and packaging costs. Most restaurants overlook these delivery-specific expenses, turning seemingly popular dishes into profit killers. You can optimize your delivery menu by calculating proper margins that account for these hidden costs.
Why delivery menus demand different margin calculations
Your delivery menu carries costs that don't exist for dine-in service. Beyond ingredients, you're dealing with packaging expenses, platform commissions, and delivery fees. A dish that generates solid profits in-house might drain money through third-party platforms.
⚠️ Note:
Platform fees from Deliveroo or Uber Eats range between 15-30% of your order value. You need to include this in your margin calculation.
The 4 quadrants of menu engineering for delivery
You'll categorize dishes into 4 groups, but delivery changes the math completely:
- Stars: Popular + profitable (even after platform and packaging costs)
- Plowhorses: Popular but not profitable through delivery
- Puzzles: Few orders but profitable
- Dogs: Few orders and not profitable
Calculate your real margin per delivery dish
After managing kitchen operations for nearly a decade, I've learned that every dish needs a complete cost breakdown including delivery-specific expenses:
💡 Example: Pasta carbonara via delivery
Selling price on platform: €16.50
- Ingredients: €4.80
- Packaging (container, lid, fork): €0.45
- Platform fees (20%): €3.30
- Total costs: €8.55
Net margin: €16.50 - €8.55 = €7.95 (48.2%)
Track popularity against profitability
Build a spreadsheet of your top 10 delivery dishes. For each one, record:
- Weekly order frequency
- Net margin per portion (after all expenses)
- Total weekly profit (quantity × margin)
💡 Example analysis:
Margherita Pizza:
- 45× ordered per week
- €6.20 net margin per pizza
- Total profit: €279 per week
This is a Star: popular and profitable.
Restructure your delivery menu strategy
Your analysis reveals which dishes deserve attention:
- Stars: Feature prominently, consider promotional campaigns
- Plowhorses: Increase prices or source cheaper packaging
- Puzzles: Improve visibility or bundle with popular items
- Dogs: Remove from delivery platforms entirely
⚠️ Note:
A dish can be a Star in your restaurant but a Plowhorse through delivery due to extra costs. Analyze both menus separately.
Dynamic pricing for delivery platforms
Different prices for delivery versus dine-in make financial sense. Customers expect convenience fees, and a 10-20% markup helps offset additional costs without significantly impacting order volume.
💡 Example pricing:
Burger menu:
- In restaurant: €14.50
- Via delivery: €16.50
- Difference: €2.00 (13.8% markup)
That extra €2.00 compensates for platform and packaging costs.
How do you calculate menu engineering for delivery? (step by step)
Calculate total costs per dish
Add up: ingredient costs + packaging costs + platform fees (15-30% of order value). This gives you the actual costs for delivery.
Analyze popularity and profitability
Create a list of your top 10 delivery dishes with number of orders per week and net margin per portion. Divide them into the 4 quadrants: Stars, Plowhorses, Puzzles, and Dogs.
Optimize your delivery menu
Promote your Stars, raise prices on Plowhorses, try to sell Puzzles better, and consider removing Dogs. Test different prices and monitor the effect on orders.
✨ Pro tip
Run margin calculations on your 8 highest-volume delivery dishes every 6 weeks. These items generate 75% of your delivery profits, so optimizing their pricing and costs creates the biggest financial impact.
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 use different prices for delivery vs. restaurant?
That can be smart. A markup of 10-20% on delivery prices compensates for platform and packaging costs. Many customers accept this because of the convenience.
How do I calculate platform fees in my margin?
Platform fees are usually 15-30% of your order value. On a €20 order with 25% platform fees, you pay €5 to the platform. Deduct this from your revenue.
What if a popular dish isn't profitable through delivery?
Then it's a Plowhorse. You can raise the price, find cheaper packaging, or adjust the dish to save costs.
Do I need to calculate packaging costs per dish?
Yes, packaging costs vary per dish. A salad needs a more expensive container than a pizza. Budget €0.30 to €0.80 per package.
How often should I analyze my delivery menu?
At least once a month. Dish popularity can change quickly, and platform fees are sometimes adjusted by delivery partners.
Can I remove dishes from delivery while keeping them in-restaurant?
Absolutely. Some dishes work great for dine-in but lose money through delivery due to packaging requirements or transport issues. Keep separate menus for each channel.
📚 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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