Ghost Kitchen Profit Calculator
Enter your orders, menu prices, and costs to get an instant monthly P&L projection with break-even analysis. Based on real UK dark kitchen operating data from 2026.
UK Ghost Kitchen Profitability Benchmarks (2026)
How to Improve Your Ghost Kitchen Profit Margin
Build a direct ordering channel
Even getting 15% of orders through your own website at 0% commission adds £500-£800/month to profit for a typical operator.
Reduce food waste below 5%
Use cross-menu ingredients (chicken in wraps, salads, and mains) and batch prep based on historical order patterns. Every 1% reduction in waste saves ~£150/month.
Run multiple virtual brands
Share your kitchen, staff, and many ingredients across 2-3 brands to multiply revenue while keeping fixed costs flat. Wings, burgers, and wraps often share 60% of ingredients.
Negotiate platform commissions
After 6 months of consistent volume (500+ orders/month per platform), request a rate review. Reductions of 2-5% are common for reliable operators.
Increase average order value
Add combo deals, meal deals for 2, and strategic upsells (drinks, sides, desserts). Raising AOV from £18 to £22 adds ~£3,000/month revenue on 750 orders.
Want the full P&L breakdown?
Our detailed profitability guide includes real-world P&L examples, margin timelines from month 1 to year 2, and the top margin killers to avoid.
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Written by
James Mitchell
Ghost Kitchen Operations Director & Industry Expert
Frequently Asked Questions
How much profit does a ghost kitchen make in the UK?
A typical UK ghost kitchen doing 25-35 orders per day generates £12,000-£17,000 monthly revenue with a net profit margin of 8-15%. In the first 3 months, most ghost kitchens break even or make a small loss while building platform reviews and optimising their menu. By month 7-12, established operators reach 12-20% net margins.
What is the break-even point for a ghost kitchen?
The average UK ghost kitchen breaks even at around 30-35 orders per day (roughly 975 orders per month). This assumes £1,800/month rent, 2 staff, 30% food costs, and a blended platform commission of 25%. Lower rent locations like Liverpool or Sheffield can break even at 20-25 orders/day.
What are the biggest costs for a ghost kitchen?
The three biggest cost categories are: food ingredients (25-35% of revenue), platform commissions (20-30% of revenue depending on platform mix), and labour (15-20% of revenue). Kitchen rent typically accounts for 10-15% of revenue. Reducing food waste and increasing direct orders are the two fastest ways to improve margins.
Which delivery platform has the lowest commission?
Just Eat charges the lowest standard commission at around 20%, compared to Uber Eats at 25% and Deliveroo at 30%. However, lower commission platforms may deliver fewer orders in some areas. The most profitable approach is diversifying across all three platforms and building a direct ordering channel with 0% commission.
How many orders per day does a ghost kitchen need to be profitable?
Most UK ghost kitchens need 30-40 orders per day to be profitable after all costs. At an average order value of £20 with a blended 25% commission rate and 30% food costs, each order contributes roughly £4.80 toward fixed costs. With typical fixed costs of £4,500-£5,000/month, you need about 33 orders/day to break even.
Is a ghost kitchen more profitable than a restaurant?
Ghost kitchens have lower startup costs (£5,000-£15,000 vs £50,000-£150,000 for a restaurant) and lower fixed overheads, but higher variable costs due to platform commissions. A well-run ghost kitchen can achieve 12-20% net margins compared to 5-10% for the average restaurant. The key advantage is lower risk — you can test and pivot quickly.
How can I improve my ghost kitchen profit margin?
The five highest-impact actions are: (1) build a direct ordering channel to avoid commission on 15-25% of orders, (2) reduce food waste below 5% through batch prep and cross-menu ingredients, (3) increase average order value with combo deals and upsells, (4) negotiate lower commission rates after 6+ months of consistent volume, and (5) run multiple virtual brands from the same kitchen to share fixed costs.
What food cost percentage should a ghost kitchen target?
Ghost kitchens should target 25-32% food cost (ingredients only, excluding packaging). Chicken wings and pizza concepts typically achieve 25-28%, while sushi and premium concepts run 32-38%. Packaging adds another 3-5%. If your combined food and packaging cost exceeds 38% of revenue, margins become very tight after platform commissions.
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