Legal compliance for restaurants delivering: what you need to know

Delivery adds specific legal obligations to those of classic restaurants. Ignoring them exposes you to fines, disputes, and problems with platforms.

Allergens: The display of the 14 major allergens is mandatory, including for delivery. On platforms, systematically fill in the “allergens” field for each dish. In case of an incident, you are liable.

VAT: Deliveries of sales are subject to the standard VAT rate (10% for most dishes, 5.5% for certain products). Verify with your accountant that your rates are correct.

Contracts platforms: read carefully the terms and conditions. Key points are the commission rate, the conditions of termination, the ownership of customer data, and the modalities of contesting refunds.

GDPR: If you collect customer data (email, telephone) via your own channels, you must be compliant. Declare your processing, obtain consent, and allow data deletion upon request.

Insurance: verify that your professional insurance covers the delivery activity. Some contracts exclude damage related to the transport of food.

Your food service license must cover takeaway sales. If you only have a restaurant license (large or small), check with your town hall to see if takeaway sales are permitted.