Most restaurant owners believe delivery platforms automatically destroy their profit margins. The reality? You can maintain healthy margins on delivery orders through strategic pricing and menu design. Platform fees don't have to kill your bottom line.
Why delivery dishes have lower margins
The problem lies in the extra costs you don't always see right away:
- Platform fees: Deliveroo, Uber Eats take 15-30% of your order value
- Packaging costs: Boxes, bags, cutlery cost €0.50-€2.00 per order
- No beverage sales: With delivery you sell fewer drinks (high margin)
- Smaller orders: Average check value is often lower
💡 Example:
Pasta carbonara in restaurant vs. delivery:
- Restaurant: €18.50 → €16.97 excl. VAT
- Ingredients: €5.10
- Food cost restaurant: 30.1%
- Delivery: €18.50 - €4.63 platform fee - €1.20 packaging = €12.67 net
- Actual food cost delivery: 40.2%
Three strategies to solve this
Strategy 1: Separate prices for delivery
Bump your delivery prices by 15-25% to offset platform fees. Most restaurants already do this, and customers expect it.
- Restaurant price: €18.50
- Delivery price: €21.50-€23.00
- Customers pay for convenience - they get it
Strategy 2: Delivery-specific dishes
Create dishes that travel well and pack higher margins:
- Bowls and salads (cheap ingredients, high perceived value)
- Pasta dishes (low food cost, filling)
- Curries and stews (cheap meat, lots of sauce)
⚠️ Important:
Never jack up your restaurant menu prices to compensate for delivery costs. Your dine-in guests shouldn't subsidize someone else's delivery order.
Strategy 3: Increase minimum order values
Push your minimum order amount higher to spread fixed costs across more revenue. Something most kitchen managers discover too late: a €15 minimum barely covers your platform fees and packaging.
- Jump from €15 to €20-€25 minimum
- Bundle 'meal deals' to help customers hit this target
- Auto-suggest drinks for small orders
How to track the numbers
You need different food cost targets for each channel:
- Restaurant: 28-35% food cost
- Delivery: 35-42% food cost (higher packaging costs)
- Takeaway: 30-37% food cost (no platform fee, but packaging)
💡 Example calculation:
Burger menu for €16.50:
- Restaurant: €15.14 excl. VAT - €4.50 ingredients = 29.7% food cost ✅
- Delivery: €15.14 - €3.30 platform fee - €1.00 packaging = €10.84 net
- Delivery food cost: €4.50 / €10.84 = 41.5% ❌
- Solution: Delivery price €19.50 → €17.89 excl. VAT → 31.5% food cost ✅
Practical implementation
Start with your top 5 delivery performers. Calculate for each dish:
- Actual net revenue after platform fee and packaging
- Food cost percentage based on net revenue
- Required price increase to hit 35% food cost
Test the new prices for 2 weeks straight. Monitor these metrics:
- Order volume (expect 10-15% drop initially)
- Average check value
- Total profit margin per platform
💡 Example result:
Restaurant with €50,000 delivery revenue per month:
- Before: 45% food cost → €22,500 ingredient costs
- After price increase: 35% food cost on €45,000 revenue → €15,750 ingredient costs
- Savings: €6,750 per month = €81,000 per year
Multi-channel pricing tools
Food cost calculators help you set different selling prices per dish and track margins for each variant. You'll immediately spot which delivery dishes need price adjustments to stay profitable.
How do you calculate the right delivery price? (step by step)
Calculate your net revenue per dish
Subtract the platform fee (15-30%) and packaging costs (€0.50-€2.00) from your current delivery price. This is what you actually keep per dish.
Calculate your actual food cost percentage
Divide your ingredient costs by the net revenue and multiply by 100. If this is above 35%, you're losing money on delivery.
Determine your new delivery price
Calculate what gross price you need to reach 35% food cost after deducting all costs. Round to a logical amount (€19.50 instead of €19.73).
✨ Pro tip
Track your 3 highest-margin delivery dishes over the next 30 days and promote them heavily on platforms. A dish that travels well and keeps 35%+ margins after all fees is pure gold for your delivery profits.
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
Can I charge different prices for delivery and restaurant?
Absolutely - it's legal and most restaurants do this. Customers understand delivery involves extra service costs. Platform fees and packaging aren't free, so why should you absorb them?
How much can I increase delivery prices without losing customers?
A 15-25% increase usually works fine. Test gradually and watch your order numbers during the first two weeks. Most customers care more about convenience than a few extra euros.
What if competitors stay cheaper on delivery platforms?
Focus on value over price - better quality, larger portions, or unique dishes win customers. The cheapest option doesn't always get the most orders. Build loyalty through consistency and taste, not rock-bottom pricing.
📚 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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