DeliveryIQ: User Guide

DeliveryIQ helps you calculate:

• true profit per delivery order
• profitability at different volume levels
• comparison between food cost, labor, and commission expenses
• break-even point per order
• hourly profitability trend across different order counts
• visual revenue vs. cost comparison

These numbers are based on your own menu prices, food cost, and third-party fees.

DeliveryIQ is not a scheduling tool or POS integration.

It’s a decision tool that helps operators understand whether delivery is enhancing or dragging down profitability.

Operators typically use DeliveryIQ to:

1. Decide whether delivery should be offered at all
2. Identify the minimum price needed to break even on delivery orders
3. Review whether a delivery menu should be narrower
4. Set delivery-only pricing that preserves margin
5. Determine which days or hours delivery should be paused
6. Compare platforms (DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub) by commission cost
7. Prepare for renegotiation with third-party services
8. Advise staff on how many deliveries per hour are actually profitable

In short: DeliveryIQ helps you stop guessing and start modeling delivery as a business unit.

To use DeliveryIQ accurately, you will need the following inputs. Here’s how to get each:

1. Average Delivery Ticket Size

Use your POS or third-party delivery dashboard to find:

• average order value (AOV)
• typical ticket size over the past 30–90 days

Round to the nearest dollar.

2. Food Cost Percentage

Use your inventory or cost spreadsheets.

If unsure, a typical range is:

• 28–35% full-service
• 25–30% limited-service
• 30–40% pizza

Use your own data when possible.

3. Packaging Cost per Order

Add up:

• containers
• bags
• utensils (if included)
• cups/lids for drinks
• branded packaging

Most operators underestimate packaging costs — include all items used.

4. Third-Party Commission Percentage

Use the rate from:

• DoorDash
• Uber Eats
• Grubhub
• ChowNow (if applicable)
• Other local platforms

Include both:

• service fee
• delivery fee or marketing fee

Your actual blended commission is usually higher than the advertised rate.

5. Labor Cost per Order (Optional but Valuable)

Estimate:

• time spent bagging
• expo touches
• order verification
• runner involvement
• front counter labor

You may approximate:

labor seconds per order × labor cost per minute

Or use average:

• $2–$4 per order for full-service restaurants
• $0.75–$2.00 for counter-service

6. Delivery Volume (Orders per Hour or per Day)

Choose a typical service window (e.g., Friday dinner).

How many delivery orders do you receive per hour?

DeliveryIQ uses this to build a revenue/cost comparison at multiple volume levels.

DeliveryIQ performs the following calculations behind the scenes:

1. Food Cost in Dollars
2. Commission Amount
3. Packaging Cost
4. Labor Cost (if provided)
5. Total Cost Per Order
6. Profit Per Order
7. Hourly or Daily Profit (Based on Volume)
8. Break-Even Ticket Price

DeliveryIQ calculates the minimum check size required to not lose money.

DeliveryIQ includes a visual chart comparing:

• Revenue per order
• Total cost per order
• Net profit per order

Graph Colors (default):

• Blue → Revenue
• Orange/Gold → Total cost
• Green → Net profit

If the profit bar is below zero, delivery is unprofitable at your current inputs.

If your profit bar is:

• low but positive → delivery is technically profitable, but weak
• high relative to cost → delivery is a strong profit center
• zero → break-even point

The graph updates in real-time as you adjust your inputs, making it easy to test multiple scenarios.

The DeliveryIQ interface has four main areas:

1. Input Section

Where you enter:

• ticket size
• food cost %
• packaging cost
• commission %
• labor cost
• delivery volume

Inputs update the calculations instantly when you click Calculate.

2. KPI Summary Cards

These cards show:

• Profit Per Order
• Break-Even Ticket Price
• Profitability at the Given Volume

This section provides quick visibility for busy managers.

3. Detailed Results Panel

This area includes:

• exact food cost
• commission paid per order
• packaging + labor costs
• total cost
• net profit
• hourly or daily modeled profit

This is ideal for manager meetings or decision discussions.

4. Revenue/Cost Comparison Graph

A bar chart that visually compares:

• ticket revenue
• total cost
• net profit

This helps operators present the impact clearly to partners or co-owners.

To ensure realistic results:

• use your actual average ticket size, not a guess
• include all packaging items — containers add up
• make sure commission % includes all fees (marketing + delivery + service)
• estimate labor honestly; delivery does take time
• use a typical delivery-heavy shift for volume
• re-run the tool after adding or removing menu items
• model multiple scenarios (e.g., increasing average ticket size)

Delivery might be draining profit if:

• commissions are 25–35%
• packaging is $1.25+ per order
• ticket size is below $22–$25
• labor is not accounted for
• volume is low
• AOV is unstable
• modifiers or discounts are common

DeliveryIQ will make this visible immediately.

Use these signs:

• negative profit per order
• break-even ticket price is higher than your average
• high order volume increases losses (common with pizza/pasta)
• dine-in is hurting because staff is pulled to expo bags
• third-party apps drain kitchen bandwidth during peak hours

DeliveryIQ helps argue these decisions with data, not emotion.

DeliveryIQ allows:

• PDF report export and printing for meetings
• screenshot-friendly charts
• sharing across managers (PDF-based)

All data stays local — nothing is synced online.

All Restaurant Profits Lab Tools are unique. They do not save identity or track usage. No account information (other than registration) is needed.

• All calculations run 100% on your device
• No data is collected, stored on a server, or sent anywhere
• No logins or accounts are required
• Clearing your browser storage will remove saved scenarios
• Keys only unlock access — they do not track usage or metrics

This tool is designed to keep operator data private and local.

While these tools are intentionally designed to be simple and intuitive, things don't always run perfectly. Here are some things to try when:

Delivery is unprofitable under current inputs.

Increase prices, reduce packaging cost, or migrate off third-party apps for some hours.

• refresh page
• check browser settings
• ensure JavaScript is enabled
• try Chrome, Safari, or Firefox

• confirm packaging cost accuracy
• ensure commission percentage includes all fees
• confirm correct AOV (ticket size)

• reload the page
• check ad blockers
• clear cache

DeliveryIQ is most useful when:

• comparing platforms
• reviewing menu pricing strategy
• deciding if third-party delivery should exist
• determining delivery-only hours
• evaluating whether to start a ghost kitchen
• forecasting margins during busy seasons
• negotiating commissions

Most restaurants underestimate the true cost of delivery.

DeliveryIQ puts real numbers behind the decision, helping operators choose what is profitable — and cut what isn’t.