Dark kitchens face a frustrating paradox these days: revenue climbs while profits stay flat. You're processing more orders but earning the same per sale. Hidden costs creep up alongside growth - platform fees bite harder, packaging expenses multiply, and operational inefficiencies compound.
Analyze your cost structure per order
Growing dark kitchens see costs shift beneath the surface. Platform fees climb, packaging expenses multiply, and bulk purchasing gets replaced by frequent smaller orders.
💡 Example cost analysis:
Order of €25 (incl. VAT):
- Platform fee (25%): €6.25
- Packaging: €1.20
- Ingredients: €7.50
- Net revenue: €10.05
Margin: 40% of revenue
Pull your numbers from six months back and compare. Did platform fees increase? Are you using pricier packaging now? Have ingredient costs risen without menu price adjustments?
Check your food cost per dish
Dark kitchens run lean menus, so one overpriced dish destroys your entire margin. Audit the food cost on your top sellers immediately.
💡 Example calculation:
Burger menu for €18.50 excl. VAT:
- Meat: €3.20
- Bun: €0.80
- Fries: €1.10
- Garnish: €1.40
- Packaging: €1.20
Total food cost: €7.70 = 41.6%
Food costs above 35% spell trouble for delivery operations. You've still got platform fees, labor, and overhead eating into what's left. Tweak recipes or bump prices - there's no middle ground here.
⚠️ Note:
Don't forget packaging costs in your food cost. Boxes, bags and stickers often cost an extra €1-2 per order.
Optimize your menu for profitability
Dark kitchens survive on volume alone. Double down on dishes with low food costs and high order frequency. From tracking this across dozens of restaurants, popular but unprofitable items need immediate attention - or removal.
- Stars: Popular and profitable - promote these
- Plowhorses: Popular but expensive - adjust recipe
- Dogs: Unpopular and expensive - remove from menu
Platform data shows which dishes customers order most. Match this against your cost data to spot your real winners.
Increase your average order value
Platform fees stay at a fixed percentage regardless. Higher orders mean you keep more per euro of revenue. Focus hard on bundles and strategic upselling.
💡 Example impact:
Platform fee 25% on different order sizes:
- Order €15: €11.25 net (75%)
- Order €25: €18.75 net (75%)
- Order €35: €26.25 net (75%)
Higher orders have relatively lower packaging costs per euro of revenue.
- Create combo deals with genuine customer value
- Add simple add-ons (drinks, desserts)
- Set a minimum order threshold
- Use "free delivery from €X" as motivation
Check your operational efficiency
More revenue equals more orders. But are you maintaining efficiency or does each order now demand more time and resources?
- Prep time: Can you prepare more during quiet periods?
- Ingredient purchasing: Still buying bulk or ordering smaller quantities more frequently?
- Waste: Are you discarding more due to poor forecasting?
- Labor time: How many hours do you work per €100 revenue?
⚠️ Note:
Growth can lead to stress and hurry, making you less precise with portion sizes. That eats into your margin.
Track your time per order consistently. If this increases while revenue grows, you're losing efficiency. Then invest in improved processes or better equipment.
How do you restore your margin with growing revenue?
Calculate your actual costs per order
Add up all costs: ingredients, packaging, platform fee. Divide by number of orders from last month. Compare with 6 months ago.
Check food cost of your top 5 dishes
Calculate the exact cost price including packaging. Anything above 35% is too expensive for delivery. Adjust recipe or raise prices.
Optimize your menu for profitability
Combine popularity data from your platform with cost prices. Cut losers, promote winners. Focus on higher average order value.
✨ Pro tip
Track your cost per order weekly and compare against the previous 4-week average. A €0.30 increase per order costs you €3,600 annually at 1,000 monthly orders - that's often the difference between profit and loss.
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
What is an acceptable food cost for dark kitchens?
Keep it below 35% including packaging for delivery operations. You've still got platform fees of 15-30% plus labor costs to cover. Anything higher and you're operating at break-even or loss.
How do I calculate the impact of platform fees on my margin?
Divide platform fee by total order value to see the hit. With a 25% fee on a €25 order, you're left with €18.75 for food cost, labor and profit.
When should I raise my prices with growing revenue?
If margins drop despite revenue growth, act quickly. First optimize operations for efficiency, then implement price increases in 5-10% increments. Don't wait - every month of delay costs you money.
How do I prevent packaging costs from eating into my margin?
Include packaging in your food cost calculations and purchase in bulk quantities. Basic packaging runs €0.50 per order while premium options can hit €2+ per order.
📚 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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