A pasta carbonara costs €3.50 to make, but should you charge €12.95 for dine-in and €17.50 for takeaway? Each sales channel carries distinct cost structures that directly impact profitability. You'll need separate pricing strategies for the same dish.
Why different prices for the same dish?
A dish sold across multiple channels faces completely different cost structures:
- In-house: service, dishwashing, table setting, but no packaging
- Takeaway: packaging costs, no service, but platform fees from delivery services
- VAT: both 9% for food (no difference)
Most restaurant owners make the critical error of using identical pricing. This guarantees losses on one channel.
⚠️ Watch out:
Platform fees from Deliveroo or Uber Eats can run up to 30% of your order value. You need to compensate for this in your price, otherwise you'll make a loss.
First calculate your base cost price
Start with the dish's core cost price - identical across both channels:
- Main ingredients
- Garnishes and side dishes
- Sauces and oils
- Everything that goes on the plate
💡 Example: Pasta Carbonara
Ingredient costs per portion:
- Pasta: €0.45
- Bacon: €1.20
- Eggs: €0.60
- Parmesan: €0.85
- Cream, herbs, oil: €0.40
Base cost price: €3.50
Calculate the selling price for in-house consumption
For dine-in service, you'll work with your standard food cost percentage. Most restaurants target 28-35%.
Formula: Minimum selling price = Cost price ÷ (Desired food cost ÷ 100)
💡 Calculation for in-house:
Cost price: €3.50
Desired food cost: 30%
€3.50 ÷ 0.30 = €11.67 excl. VAT
€11.67 × 1.09 = €12.72 incl. VAT
Menu price: €12.95
Calculate the selling price for takeaway
Takeaway introduces additional costs while eliminating others:
- Extra costs: packaging (containers, bags, cutlery)
- Platform fees: 15-30% from delivery services
- Eliminated costs: service, dishwashing, table setting
From analyzing actual purchasing data across different restaurant types, packaging typically adds €0.25-€0.50 per dish. But platform fees create the real pricing challenge.
💡 Calculation for takeaway:
Base cost price: €3.50
Packaging: €0.35
Total cost price: €3.85
With 25% platform fee your margin needs to be 25% higher:
€3.85 ÷ 0.30 = €12.83 base
€12.83 × 1.25 = €16.04 excl. VAT
Takeaway price: €17.50 incl. VAT
Communicating different prices
You can handle price variations through several approaches:
- Separate menus: different prices for dine-in and takeaway
- Mention surcharge: "All prices +15% for takeaway"
- Platform-specific: higher prices only on Deliveroo/Uber Eats
⚠️ Watch out:
Be transparent about price differences. Customers understand that takeaway has different costs, but don't surprise them with unexpected surcharges.
Check: are both channels profitable?
You'll need regular price reviews since costs fluctuate:
- Platform fees can change
- Packaging costs rise regularly
- Ingredient prices fluctuate
Track your actual food cost for both channels quarterly. Are they both hitting your target percentage? Then your pricing strategy works.
How do you calculate different selling prices? (step by step)
Calculate the base cost price of the dish
Add up all ingredient costs: main ingredients, garnishes, sauces and everything that goes on the plate. This is the same for both channels.
Determine the price for in-house consumption
Divide the cost price by your desired food cost percentage (for example 30%). Multiply by 1.09 for the price including 9% VAT.
Add packaging costs for takeaway
Calculate €0.25-€0.50 per portion for containers, bags and cutlery. This becomes your new cost price for takeaway.
Compensate for platform fees in your takeaway price
With 25% platform fee your final price needs to be 25% higher. First calculate your normal margin, then increase it by the platform fee percentage.
Test both prices for profitability
Check if both channels stay below your desired food cost percentage. Adjust if one of them is too high.
✨ Pro tip
Track your top 8 dual-channel dishes weekly for the next 6 weeks. Platform fees and packaging costs shift monthly, so your pricing needs constant fine-tuning.
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
Am I allowed to charge different prices for the same dish?
Yes, you are. As long as you're transparent about the price differences. Many restaurants charge different prices for dine-in and takeaway.
How high can platform fees be that I pass on?
Platform fees from delivery services can run up to 30% of your order value. You can pass these on completely in your takeaway price.
Do I need to calculate different VAT percentages?
No, for food both dine-in and takeaway have 9% VAT. Only alcoholic beverages are 21%, but that applies to both channels.
What if customers complain about the price difference?
Explain that takeaway has different costs: packaging and platform fees. Most customers understand this if you communicate it clearly.
Can I use the same price and absorb the difference?
You can, but then you'll make a loss on one of the two channels. Better to use fair prices that are profitable for both.
Should I adjust prices when platform commission rates change?
Absolutely. Platform fees change frequently, sometimes with just 30 days notice. Review your takeaway pricing within 48 hours of any commission rate updates to maintain profitability.
📚 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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