The formula
Contribution per delivery order = app price − app commission − promos you fund − food cost − packaging. That is what each order leaves to pay labour, rent and everything else. Compare it with the same dish sold in-store, where there is no commission and usually no packaging.
What delivery apps charge
DoorDash's US marketplace plans charge restaurants 15% (Basic), 25% (Plus) or 30% (Premier) commission on delivery orders, and 6% on pickup orders (DoorDash merchant pricing). Other apps and countries use different plans, so enter the rate on your own statement.
Three levers
- App markup. Many operators price app menus higher than in-store. The calculator shows the markup that keeps your dollars per order the same.
- Promos. A "20% off" you fund comes out of the same margin as the commission. Count it.
- Food cost on the app menu. Smaller, high-margin items travel better and cost less to package.
Running several brands from one kitchen?
One order is a start. The Ghost Kitchen & Multi-Brand Dashboard ($49, Excel and Google Sheets) does this for every dish, brand and app each month: recipe costs from your purchases, daily sales, commissions, prime cost and a P&L per brand. For food and labour together, use the prime cost calculator.