How much actually hits your bottom line per order?
How the calculator builds the cost stack
The calculator applies your food cost %, labor %, and occupancy % to the ticket, then deducts the marketplace commission (a percentage of the full ticket including tax and tip in most cases). The remainder is the operating margin in dollars per order. The same ticket is then run a second time substituting the marketplace fee for Stripe’s online card processing fee (2.9% + 30¢).
Defaults reflect QSR / fast-casual benchmarks: 30% food, 28% labor, 8% occupancy. A $40 ticket on those defaults leaves about $13.60 of pre-marketplace contribution; a 20% marketplace commission consumes nearly 60% of that contribution.
Sources for benchmark margins and rates
- Restaurant operating margin and cost benchmarks — National Restaurant Association State of the Industry reports.
- DoorDash marketplace tiers (Basic 15%, Plus 25%, Premier 30%) and pickup commission of 6% — DoorDash Merchant pricing.
- UberEats merchant fee tiers — UberEats Merchants pricing.
- Grubhub Direct 10% on-your-site commission — Grubhub Direct.
- Stripe US standard pricing 2.9% + 30¢ online and 2.7% + 5¢ in-person — Stripe pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical restaurant operating margin?
Independent full-service restaurants typically run 3% to 9% pre-tax operating margin. Quick-service and fast-casual operations target 6% to 12%. Margins above 15% are uncommon and usually reflect tight cost control, premium pricing, or low occupancy expense.
What is a healthy food cost percentage?
Food cost percentage targets 28% to 32% for full-service, 25% to 30% for fast-casual, and 30% to 35% for QSR. Pizza shops can run 24% to 28%; steakhouses can run 35% to 42% because protein costs are high.
What is a healthy labor cost percentage?
Total labor cost (wages plus payroll taxes and benefits) targets 25% to 35% depending on service model. Full-service runs higher; counter-service runs lower. Costs above 35% usually signal scheduling or productivity problems.
What is occupancy cost?
Occupancy cost includes rent, common area maintenance, property taxes, and insurance — basically the cost of being in the building. Healthy operations keep occupancy at 6% to 10% of revenue. Anything over 12% is a structural pressure on margin.
Why does direct ordering matter so much for margin?
On a $40 ticket with food at 30%, labor at 28% and occupancy at 8%, you have about $13.60 left to absorb a marketplace commission and still earn margin. A 20% marketplace commission of $8 leaves you $5.60. The same order direct on FoodyOS + Stripe costs you about $1.46 in processing — leaving $12.14. The marketplace fee is the biggest controllable variable cost in the stack.