Many restaurants assume their most popular dine-in dishes will automatically succeed on delivery platforms. This couldn't be further from the truth. Platform fees, packaging costs, and quality degradation can turn your star performers into profit killers.
Calculate your actual margin per dish
Delivery requires a completely different cost calculation than dine-in service. You're dealing with extra expenses that'll eat into your margins, but there are also unique advantages to consider.
💡 Example:
Pasta carbonara in restaurant vs. delivery:
- Ingredients: €5.10
- Packaging: €0.85 (container, lid, fork, bag)
- Total cost price: €5.95
- Selling price: €16.50 excl. VAT
- Platform fee (25%): €4.13
Net revenue: €12.37 - €5.95 = €6.42
Your restaurant keeps €16.50 - €5.10 = €11.40 for dine-in. But delivery? Just €6.42. That's a 44% margin drop.
Extra costs for delivery
Always factor these expenses into your ingredient costs:
- Packaging costs: €0.50 - €1.50 per dish (varies by complexity)
- Platform fees: 15-30% of your selling price
- Payment costs: Usually 2-3% extra for online transactions
- Quality loss: Some dishes simply don't travel well
Dishes that are NOT suitable for delivery
Remove these from your delivery menu immediately:
⚠️ Note:
Low-margin restaurant dishes often become money-losers with delivery due to additional costs.
- Salads: Turn soggy, low margins get crushed by platform fees
- Soup: Leakage risk, requires expensive packaging
- Fries: Go soggy fast, guaranteed customer complaints
- Cheap dishes under €12: Platform fees destroy profitability
- Dishes with food cost above 30%: Become unprofitable after extra expenses
Dishes that ARE suitable
Build your delivery menu around these dish types:
💡 Example winning dishes:
- Pizzas: Travel beautifully, affordable packaging
- Pastas: Stay warm easily, customer favorites
- Burgers: Durable packaging, strong margins possible
- Wraps: Compact size, travel-friendly
- Rice dishes: Hold heat exceptionally well
Calculate your break-even point
You can determine the minimum profitable price for any dish using this approach.
Formula: (Ingredients + Packaging) ÷ 0.30 = Minimum selling price excl. VAT
The 0.30 represents: 100% - 30% food cost - 25% platform fee - 15% other expenses = 30% remaining for profit and fixed costs. One of the most common blind spots in kitchen management is forgetting to account for all these hidden delivery costs upfront.
💡 Example calculation:
Chicken teriyaki with rice:
- Ingredients: €4.20
- Packaging: €0.60
- Total: €4.80
Minimum price: €4.80 ÷ 0.30 = €16.00 excl. VAT
With 9% VAT: €17.44 incl. VAT
Test and measure your results
Launch with a focused delivery menu of 8-12 dishes you're confident will be profitable. After 30 days, analyze:
- Which dishes sell best?
- Where are you getting quality complaints?
- Which dishes generate the highest absolute profit?
- How many returns does each dish generate?
Use this data to refine your menu. Keep the profitable, popular dishes without complaints. Cut everything else.
How do you select profitable delivery dishes? (step by step)
Calculate total cost price including packaging
Add the ingredient costs and packaging costs for each dish. Don't forget to include cutlery, napkins and bags.
Deduct platform fees and payment costs from selling price
Calculate what you net after deducting all platform fees. This is your actual revenue per dish.
Calculate your net margin percentage
Divide your profit by your net revenue. Dishes below 25% net margin are often not profitable enough for delivery.
Test quality after 30 minutes of transport
Let each dish sit in the packaging for 30 minutes and taste again. Dishes that disappoint don't belong on your delivery menu.
Start with limited menu and measure results
Begin with 8-12 dishes you're confident about. Measure sales figures and customer satisfaction per dish after one month.
✨ Pro tip
Track your 10 most popular delivery dishes over 6 weeks and calculate which 3 generate the highest absolute profit per order. These become your menu anchors that you promote heavily on delivery platforms.
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
How many dishes should I offer for delivery?
Start with 8-12 dishes maximum. Too many options slow down customer decisions and inflate your inventory costs. Focus on dishes that deliver both popularity and profitability.
Can I charge different prices for delivery?
Absolutely. Many restaurants add 10-15% to delivery prices to cover additional costs. Just be upfront about this pricing with your customers.
What if my best-selling dish isn't profitable for delivery?
You have three choices: increase the price, reduce costs through cheaper packaging, or drop it from delivery entirely. Never let emotions override the numbers.
Should I account for returns in my calculations?
Yes, budget 2-5% of revenue for returns and complaint-related losses. Dishes that frequently cause problems cost far more than just their ingredient expense.
📚 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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