Author: FoodPEEPS

Third-party delivery brings in orders you might not otherwise get and takes a real cut doing it. Here's how to work the platforms without the platforms working you.

Commission is the number operators fixate on, and for good reason: Uber Eats typically charges Australian venues 20–30% per order, DoorDash 15–25%, and Menulog 15–30% depending on whether you or the platform handles the delivery. On a $25 order, that's anywhere from roughly $4 to $7.50 gone before ingredients, packaging or labour are even counted.

Caption: Every order that leaves through the app has already paid its toll before it hits the road. 

Do the real math, per dish

Commission plus delivery packaging plus the extra prep time an item takes to travel well can turn a profitable dine-in dish into a break-even delivery one. Cost each menu item for delivery specifically rather than assuming your dine-in margin carries across, because it usually doesn't.

The operator takeaway: Before an item goes on your delivery menu, price it after commission and packaging, not before: some of your best-selling dine-in dishes quietly lose money the moment they go in a bag.

Build a delivery-specific menu

Not everything travels. Items that reheat poorly, plate delicately, or take too long to prep at peak are often better left off the app entirely, even if they're popular in the room. A shorter, delivery-tuned menu is usually more profitable than a full replica of your dine-in offering.

Treat the platform as acquisition, not the whole business

The strongest use of delivery apps is as a way to reach people who don't yet know you, then move them onto channels you don't pay commission on. A QR code and a light discount for ordering direct next time, printed on the packaging itself, is a low-effort way to start that shift.

What's your delivery mix looking like: worth it, or more trouble than it's worth? FoodPEEPS wants to hear from operators, get in touch.

(General guidance only. Commission rates vary by agreement, location and delivery arrangement — confirm current terms with each platform.)