Most restaurateurs are familiar with the commission percentage charged by their platform. However, few calculate the full real cost of a delivery order. And yet, it’s the key to understanding whether your delivery activity is profitable.
Let’s take a concrete example. A customer orders a burger for 12 EUR, a portion of fries for 4 EUR, and a drink for 3 EUR. Total: 19 EUR. Here’s what remains actually.
Commission platform (25%): -4.75 EUR. Raw materials cost (30%): -5.70 EUR. Packaging (burger box, fries container, cup, bag): -1.50 EUR. Preparation labor (15 min at 15 EUR/hour): -3.75 EUR.
Total costs: 15.70 EUR. Net profit: 3.30 EUR, representing a 17% margin. And even more so, we haven’t factored in fixed costs (rent, electricity, insurance) or losses (missed orders, unsold items).
To calculate your true cost, list all variable costs per order: raw materials, packaging, preparation time (valued at the hourly rate of labor), platform commission, payment fees.
Next, calculate your break-even point: how many orders per hour do you need to serve to cover your fixed costs? If your monthly rent is 3000 EUR and you work 200 hours per month, each hour must generate 15 EUR of margin just for rent.
Our advice: do this calculation for each item on your menu. You will discover that some popular dishes are actually financial black holes, while others, less ordered, generate the majority of your profits.
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