Financial planning for a restaurant focused on delivery.

The financial structure of a delivery restaurant differs significantly from a traditional restaurant. Revenues arrive delayed, margins are lower, and costs are distributed differently.

Revenue: Platforms typically pay out every week with a 7 to 14 day delay. With a monthly revenue of €15,000, you’ll receive approximately €10,000-€11,000 after commissions. Plan your cash flow accordingly.

Fixed costs: rent, electricity, equipment, software subscriptions. In a pure delivery (dark kitchen), they are 40 to 60% lower than a restaurant with a dining room.

Variable costs: ingredients (25-30% of revenue), packaging (3-5% of revenue), platform commissions (25-30% of revenue), labor (25-30% of revenue). The total of variable expenses represents 80-95% of revenue.

The typical net margin in delivery is 5 to 15%. This is lower than traditional restaurants (10-20%) but with significantly lower initial investments.

The startup budget for a delivery activity based on an existing restaurant: 2000-5000 EUR (initial packaging, photos, tools). For a dark kitchen from scratch: 15000-40000 EUR.

Create a monthly forecast with 3 scenarios (pessimistic, realistic, optimistic) and follow it. Adjust each month based on actual results.