Last month, delivery platforms processed over 2.3 billion orders globally, but most restaurant owners still can't tell you their actual delivery margins. Platform fees of 15-30%, packaging costs and higher prices create completely different profitability dynamics than your regular menu. Here's how to calculate exactly what impact your delivery menu has on your total margin.
Why delivery menus have different margins
Delivery fundamentally changes your cost structure. You eliminate table service and reduce dishwashing, but you're adding platform fees, packaging costs and typically charging higher prices to compensate.
💡 Example:
Pasta carbonara in restaurant vs. delivery:
- Restaurant: €18.50 - ingredients €5.50 = 32% food cost
- Delivery: €22.50 - ingredients €5.50 - packaging €0.85 = 28% total product costs
- But: 25% platform fee = €5.63 of your €22.50
Net revenue: €16.87 (vs. €18.50 in restaurant)
The complete cost calculation for delivery
For an accurate comparison, you must include all delivery-specific costs:
- Ingredient costs: Identical to restaurant
- Packaging costs: Boxes, bags, stickers, cutlery
- Platform fee: 15-30% of order value
- Delivery costs: If you're covering them
⚠️ Note:
Platform fees are calculated on the total order value including VAT. This makes them more expensive than they initially appear.
Formula for delivery margin per dish
The formula for your actual delivery margin:
Delivery margin = ((Selling price - Platform fee - Packaging - Ingredients) / Selling price) × 100
💡 Example calculation:
Burger menu for €16.50 via Thuisbezorgd:
- Selling price: €16.50
- Platform fee (25%): €4.13
- Packaging: €0.65
- Ingredients: €4.20
Margin: ((€16.50 - €4.13 - €0.65 - €4.20) / €16.50) × 100 = 45.6%
That's higher than the 32% food cost in your restaurant!
Impact on your overall business operations
To calculate the full impact, compare your delivery revenue with restaurant revenue over identical periods:
- Total delivery revenue per month
- Average margin per delivery order
- Compare with average restaurant order
- Calculate the difference in absolute euros
💡 Real-world example:
Restaurant with €15,000 delivery revenue per month:
- Average delivery order: €28.50 (margin 42%)
- Average restaurant order: €24.00 (margin 65%)
- 526 delivery orders × €28.50 × 0.42 = €6,297 gross margin
- 625 restaurant orders × €24.00 × 0.65 = €9,750 gross margin
Impact: €3,453 less margin at equal revenue
Optimizing your delivery menu
From analyzing actual purchasing data across different restaurant types, you can strategically adjust your delivery menu:
- Focus on dishes with low packaging costs (soups, pastas)
- Increase portion sizes to justify higher prices
- Bundle items to increase average order value
- Remove dishes that don't package well or cost too much
⚠️ Note:
A higher margin percentage doesn't automatically mean more profit. Always examine absolute euros per order and total volumes.
How do you calculate the margin impact of your delivery menu? (step by step)
Gather all costs per dish
Note for each delivery dish: ingredient costs, packaging costs (box, bag, cutlery, stickers) and selling price. Don't forget small items like sauce containers or napkins.
Calculate the platform fee per dish
Multiply the selling price by the platform percentage (usually 20-30%). Note: this is calculated on the price including VAT. Check your contract for the exact percentage.
Calculate your net margin per dish
Subtract from the selling price: platform fee, packaging costs and ingredient costs. Divide the result by the selling price and multiply by 100 for the percentage.
Compare with your restaurant margins
Calculate the same for the same dishes in your restaurant (without platform fee and packaging, but with table service). This shows you the difference per dish.
Calculate the total monthly impact
Multiply the margin difference per dish by the number of portions sold via delivery. Add everything up for your total monthly impact in euros.
✨ Pro tip
Analyze your 8 highest-volume delivery items every 2 weeks and calculate their exact margins including all fees. If these core dishes maintain 40%+ margins, you've got your delivery profitability locked down.
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 include VAT in the calculation of platform fees?
Yes, platform fees are always calculated on the price including VAT. A dish of €20 incl. VAT with 25% platform fee costs you €5.00 in commission.
How do I calculate packaging costs per dish?
Add up all packaging materials: box, lid, bag, cutlery, napkins, stickers. An average package costs between €0.40 and €1.20 per order.
Why are my delivery margins sometimes higher than restaurant margins?
You eliminate table service, reduce dishwashing and often charge higher prices. But watch the absolute euros - a higher margin on a lower price can yield less profit.
Can I make my delivery menu more profitable than my restaurant?
Yes, through smart menu engineering: focus on dishes with low packaging costs, larger portion sizes and bundling items to increase average order value.
📚 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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