When a delivery marketplace charges "30%," most operators picture losing 30 cents on every dollar. The reality is far worse, because that 30% comes off the top line while your margins live at the bottom.
Run the numbers on a $100 order
Say a $100 order costs you $70 to fulfill — food, labor, packaging, overhead. That leaves $30 of profit. Now hand 30% of the ticket to a marketplace:
- Revenue: $100
- Marketplace commission (30%): –$30
- Cost to fulfill: –$70
- Profit: $0
You did all the work and kept nothing. Push the commission to 32% and you're now paying to make food.
Why direct ordering changes everything
A direct order on your own storefront carries zero commission. The same $100 order keeps its full $30 of profit (minus a couple percent for payment processing). You don't need more orders to make more money — you need to own the orders you already have.
Every order you move from a marketplace to your own channel is close to pure recovered margin.
What to do this week
- Pull your last three marketplace statements and total the commission line.
- Multiply by 12. That's your annual "rent."
- Ask what that number could fund: a new hire, a second location, your own marketing.
Most operators are stunned by step 2. That number is exactly what going direct is designed to give back.