Takeaway and Ghost Kitchen Costs After Delivery Fees

For a delivery-led kitchen, third-party commission is usually the largest single cost after food and labour, and it lands before you’ve paid for either. That’s why restaurant benchmarks flatter this format: they were built for businesses where the customer arrives under their own steam. The National Restaurant Association’s limited-service labour median of 31.7% of sales is the closest published comparison, and it doesn’t account for commission at all.

Figures verified July 2026

Takeaway and ghost kitchen cost benchmarks with sources
Metric	Published figure	Source
Labour — limited-service median (% of sales)¹	31.7%	National Restaurant Association2026
Food cost — general restaurant range (% of sales)²	28–35%	WhippleWood CPAs2026

¹ Closest published comparison. Excludes delivery commission entirely.

² General range; packaging is usually accounted for separately.

What these numbers are — and are not

Restaurant cost benchmarks weren’t built for delivery-led businesses and don’t include commission, which is frequently the difference between a viable operation and a failing one. Nobody publishes a benchmark that does. Model your own channels separately and compare what each one actually contributes per order rather than working from blended percentages.

Where the money actually goes

Commission comes off the top

Platform commission is charged on the order value before any of your costs are met, which means every point of it is a point of gross margin gone. Two identical kitchens with different channel mixes will show completely different profitability on identical food and labour numbers.

Packaging is a real line item

Containers, bags, sauce pots, labels and cutlery add up per order in a way dine-in service never does, and they’re often buried inside food cost where nobody looks at them. Separate them out and the number is usually larger than expected.

Multiple brands from one kitchen split your attention, not your costs

Running several virtual brands out of the same space spreads fixed costs across more orders, which is the whole point. It also multiplies prep complexity and stock lines, and past a certain point the operational drag cancels the gain.

Direct orders are worth far more than platform orders

The same food, sold direct, keeps the commission. Every serious delivery operator is trying to shift mix toward their own channel, and collection is the strongest version of that because it removes the delivery cost as well.

Wait times, throughput and your cost percentages

For a delivery-led kitchen, throughput matters less than channel mix, and the two are connected. Collection customers who can see their order status and get told exactly when to arrive don’t crowd your counter and don’t need a driver, which makes them the most profitable order you can take.

If you run this concept, the operational side of that problem is what order tracking built for takeaway collection is built to solve.

Run your own numbers

Food Cost Percentage CalculatorSee what share of each dish's price goes to ingredients — and how it compares to the 28–35% benchmark.Menu Price CalculatorPrice any dish for profit from its plate cost and a target food cost percentage.Break-Even CalculatorFind the revenue — and the number of covers — you need to cover every cost.Labor Cost Percentage CalculatorTurn total labor cost and sales into a labor % you can compare against industry norms.

Own the screen, not just the order

On a platform, the customer belongs to the platform. Order direct through Bzz and the tracker is yours: a live status, a buzz when it is boxed, and your own offer sitting on the page they are watching.

Frequently asked questions

What margin do ghost kitchens make?

There’s no published benchmark, and any figure quoted online is usually an estimate. The variable that decides it is channel mix, since commission on platform orders is charged before your own costs are covered.

How much do delivery platforms charge?

Rates vary by platform, market and the deal you negotiate, so quoting a number here would be guesswork. Check your own statements and calculate the effective percentage across a full month, including any promotional funding.

Is a ghost kitchen cheaper to run than a restaurant?

On rent and front-of-house labour, clearly yes. On cost per order it’s much less obvious once commission and packaging are counted, which is exactly why the standard restaurant benchmarks mislead in this format.

How do I get more direct orders?

Make ordering direct at least as good as ordering through an app. That means a real status update and a message when food is ready, since the platforms’ main advantage over you is information rather than food.

Benchmarks for other food businesses

Full-Service Restaurant Costs: Food, Labour and MarginTable service, tipped floor staff, and the highest labour ratio of any format. Median 36.5% of sales.
Quick-Service Restaurant Costs and MarginsCounter service, faster throughput, and a labour line several points below table service.
Coffee Shop Costs: COGS, Labour and MarginBeverage COGS, a small average ticket, and a rush compressed into about two hours.
Bar and Pub Costs: Pour Cost, Labour and MarginPour cost leads, food follows, and the wet-to-dry split decides everything.
Pizzeria Costs and Profit MarginsCheap ingredients, expensive delivery, and a menu built on four or five commodities.
Food Truck Costs and Profit MarginsNo rent, but commissary fees, pitch fees, fuel and a revenue line that swings wildly.
Bakery Costs: Ingredients, Labour and WasteCheap ingredients, expensive labour, and a product that’s worthless by Tuesday.
Catering Costs and Per-Head MarginsPriced per head, costed per event, and staffed for a single afternoon.

Sources

National Restaurant Association — 2026 State of the Restaurant Industry2026 · Industry research
WhippleWood CPAs — Restaurant Financial Benchmarks 20262026 · Trade press — cited convention, not measured data