Once a restaurant passes a certain number of orders, the question comes up: should I do delivery myself? Your own delivery gives you control over timing and quality, and combined with your own website — orders with no commission. But it also comes with a cost you need to calculate before you hire your first courier.
Three delivery models
| Model | How it works | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Your own courier | You employ or contract a courier; you set the zones and fees | Restaurants with a steady number of orders every day |
| Courier service / partner | A local courier delivers for you; you pay per delivery or a flat fee | Smaller restaurants, variable number of orders |
| Pickup only | The customer orders online and collects the food | Everyone — zero delivery cost, a good start |
Many restaurants combine them: their own delivery in a close radius, platforms for more distant parts of town, and pickup for everyone.
How to calculate the cost per delivery
The most important number is the cost of a single delivery. The formula is simple:
Cost per delivery = total monthly delivery cost ÷ number of deliveries in the month
The monthly cost includes:
- the courier’s wages with contributions (or fee);
- fuel;
- vehicle or scooter maintenance and registration (or an allowance if the courier uses their own);
- mobile phone and data;
- thermal bags and equipment;
- insurance.
Example (the figures are illustrative — enter your own): if delivery costs you 150,000 RSD per month in total:
| Deliveries per month | Cost per delivery |
|---|---|
| 300 | 500 RSD |
| 500 | 300 RSD |
| 750 | 200 RSD |
You can see why the number of orders is decisive: the same courier, and the cost per delivery drops by more than half. That’s why your own delivery only makes sense once you have enough orders — or when the courier also has other jobs in the restaurant during quieter hours.
Delivery zones: how to set the boundaries
Instead of one price for the whole city, divide the area into zones. That way nearby customers pay less and you don’t lose money on distant addresses.
Practical rules:
- First zone — everything within 5–10 minutes’ drive. The lowest fee and lowest minimum order.
- Second zone — the wider area, 10–20 minutes. A higher fee and minimum order.
- Third zone (optional) — suburbs. A high minimum order, or only at certain times.
Draw the boundaries along actual roads, not as a circle on the map. A river, a railway or a motorway can turn “close by” into a 15-minute drive.
Example split (the prices are an example, not a recommendation):
| Zone | Delivery fee | Minimum order |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 200 RSD | 1,000 RSD |
| Wider area | 350 RSD | 1,500 RSD |
| Outskirts | 500 RSD | 2,500 RSD |
How to set the delivery fee
The delivery fee doesn’t have to cover the full cost of delivery — part of it is covered by your food margin. But it shouldn’t be symbolic either.
- Compare yourself with the competition in your area — what do similar restaurants charge?
- Use a minimum order instead of a delivery fee that’s too high. Customers accept “minimum 1,500 RSD” more easily than “delivery 600 RSD”.
- Free delivery above a certain amount — e.g. free delivery in the first zone over 3,000 RSD. It encourages bigger orders.
What it looks like in practice — automatic calculation
The biggest time-waster with your own delivery is the phone: “Do you deliver to my street? How much is it?”. An ordering website solves this automatically.
In Restoran Pilot:
- You draw the zones in Google My Maps and put the price in the name, e.g.
Centre (200). - You export a KML file and upload it to the panel — the zones appear on the map.
- For each zone you set a minimum order and switch it on or off.
- In the cart the customer enters their street and number — the system finds the address, recognises the zone and shows the delivery fee. If the address is outside the zones, they see the message “We don’t deliver to this address”.
Step-by-step instructions are in the delivery zones guide. Delivery zones are optional and added by arrangement — we can set them up around the courier you use or your own delivery.
Pickup — the cheapest delivery
Don’t forget pickup. The customer orders online, gets confirmation that the food will be ready in 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes, and comes to collect it. For you there’s no delivery cost and no commission, and the customer doesn’t wait in line.
For many restaurants a good start is: online ordering + pickup, with your own delivery only once the number of orders justifies it.
When your own delivery pays off
Your own delivery is a good choice when:
- you have a steady number of orders every day, not just at weekends;
- most customers are within a 15–20 minute drive;
- the cost per delivery is lower than the commission you’d pay a platform on the same order.
The last point is key. If a platform takes 500–600 RSD commission on a 2,000 RSD order and your cost per delivery is 300 RSD, your own delivery is cheaper. Compare in the Wolt and Glovo commission calculation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a restaurant's own delivery cost?
The easiest way is to calculate the cost per delivery: add up the monthly costs of the courier (wages, contributions, fuel, vehicle maintenance, phone) and divide them by the number of deliveries in the month. The more deliveries, the lower the cost per delivery.
How much should the delivery fee be?
The delivery fee should cover at least part of the cost per delivery, with the rest covered by your food margin. Most often the fee is set by zone — closer zones cheaper, further ones more expensive — together with a minimum order that grows with distance.
What is a minimum order and why do I need one?
The minimum order is the smallest amount you deliver for. It protects you from deliveries that don’t pay off — e.g. a single drink to the other side of town. In Restoran Pilot you set the minimum order separately for each zone.
How do I draw delivery zones?
Draw the zones in Google My Maps, put the price in brackets in the zone name (e.g. “Centre (200)”), export a KML file and upload it to the admin panel. Step-by-step instructions are in the guide.
Restoran Pilot
Your own ordering website — 3,000 RSD per month, 0% commission
Customer website, delivery zones, promo codes, kitchen display and admin panel. Hosting and support included.