Running a restaurant without knowing your numbers is like driving blindfolded while your passengers read the map. Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Thuisbezorgd analyze every order, every click, every euro - while many restaurant owners guess their own food costs. Data has become the new currency in hospitality.
What platforms know (and you don't)
Every time someone orders through a platform, dozens of data points get recorded. Not just what's being ordered, but also:
- Which dishes are most often ordered together
- What times certain items are popular
- How many people abandon their order at certain prices
- Which photos lead to more orders
- How long customers look at your menu before ordering
They use this data to improve their algorithms. And to advise you on pricing and menu composition.
💡 Example:
Thuisbezorgd sees that your pasta carbonara gets ordered 200 times a month, but your risotto only 15 times. They also know that customers who order carbonara often add tiramisu.
You probably don't know this off the top of your head. They do.
Why you don't know your own numbers
It's not because you're bad at your job. You're busy running a restaurant. While you're focused on:
- Managing staff
- Monitoring quality
- Helping customers
- Calling suppliers
- A thousand other things
...the platforms quietly collect data about your business. They have teams of data analysts. You've got an Excel sheet you last opened three weeks ago.
⚠️ Note:
Platforms do give you reports, but they only show what was sold. Not what it cost you. They know your revenue, but not your profit.
The cost price blind spot
Here's where it gets interesting. Platforms know a lot, but one thing they don't know: what your dishes actually cost to make.
They see that your margherita pizza costs €12.50. But they don't know that your ingredients cost €4.20, which means your food cost is 36%. Too high for a pizza.
💡 Example:
Platform data for your burger menu:
- Classic Burger: 150 orders/month at €14.50
- Bacon Burger: 80 orders/month at €16.50
- Veggie Burger: 20 orders/month at €13.50
What they don't know: The Classic Burger costs you €6.10 in ingredients (food cost 46%). The Bacon Burger only €4.80 (food cost 32%). You make more on the Bacon Burger, but you're promoting the Classic.
Why this is dangerous
Data imbalances create power imbalances. This mistake costs the average restaurant EUR 200-400 per month in lost profit opportunities. Platforms can:
- Raise commissions - they know you're dependent
- Give pricing advice - based on their interests, not yours
- Replace you - with a competitor who does use their data
- Adjust algorithms - so you become less visible
The worst part: you make decisions based on their data, without knowing if those decisions are profitable for you.
Reclaim your own data
The solution isn't to stop using platforms. They generate too much revenue. The solution is to keep your own data, so you know:
- What each dish actually costs
- Which dishes bring in the most
- How your food cost is developing
- What price adjustments are needed
💡 Example of your own data:
With your own numbers you see:
- Pasta Carbonara: 200 orders, food cost 28% = €1,680 profit
- Risotto: 15 orders, food cost 25% = €168 profit
- Tiramisu: 120 orders, food cost 18% = €590 profit
Now you can steer smartly: push the tiramisu harder, raise the price of the risotto.
The difference between data and information
Platforms give you data: numbers, graphs, reports. But data only becomes valuable when it transforms into actionable information.
Platform data: "You sold 500 burgers this month."
Your information: "I made €2,400 on burgers, with an average food cost of 32%."
The first tells you what happened. The second tells you if it was good.
Get control back
Start small. Choose your 5 best-selling dishes and calculate for each:
- Actual ingredient costs
- Food cost percentage
- Profit per portion
- Total monthly profit
Now you have information the platform doesn't have. And you can make decisions that benefit your profit, not their commission.
How do you get control of your own numbers? (step by step)
Choose your top 5 dishes
Pick the 5 dishes you sell most often according to your platform data. These are your 'cash cows' - if these are profitable, you're doing well.
Calculate the actual cost price
Add up all ingredients: main product, garnish, sauce, oil, everything that goes on the plate. Don't forget cutting waste - whole fish becomes fillets, whole chicken becomes portions.
Check your food cost percentage
Divide ingredient costs by selling price (excl. VAT) and multiply by 100. Above 35%? Then you're not making enough on that dish.
✨ Pro tip
Check your ingredient costs every 6 weeks - suppliers raise prices regularly but 73% of restaurants don't adjust menu prices accordingly. Platforms know exactly which dishes you're losing money on, even if you don't.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
Why do platforms know more about my business than I do?
Because they automatically analyze every order while you're busy running your restaurant. They have teams of data analysts working around the clock. You have an Excel sheet that's three weeks out of date.
Can platforms see what my dishes cost to make?
No, they only see what you sell and at what price. Your cost price and profit per dish remain invisible to them - if you actually track it yourself. That's your competitive advantage.
Is it bad that Thuisbezorgd knows my sales figures?
Not necessarily, but it becomes dangerous if they know more than you do. Then you're making decisions based on their data without knowing if those decisions are profitable for your business.
How can I track my own data without spending hours on spreadsheets?
Start with your 5 best-selling dishes and calculate the cost price once. Only update when suppliers change prices. Tools like a food cost calculator can automate most of this work.
What if my food cost is way higher than I thought?
Then you've got three options: raise the price, reduce portion size, or find cheaper ingredients. But first you need to know where you stand - most restaurants are flying blind on this.
Do platforms manipulate my menu visibility based on their commission?
They optimize for their own revenue, not yours. If two similar restaurants exist, they'll favor the one that generates more commission revenue. Your profit margin doesn't factor into their algorithm.
📚 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.
Stop losing money in your kitchen
Most restaurants lose 5-15% margin due to invisible mistakes. KitchenNmbrs makes every euro visible — from purchase to plate. Start your free trial and discover where your money is leaking.
Start free trial →