Food delivery business plan with order-level unit economics
Delivery looks simple until you add up packaging, app commissions, driver pay and refunds on every single order. This prompt has your todo.is agent research the delivery market in your area, then write a plan for your model, whether a ghost kitchen, a meal prep service or a local courier, with cost per order and an Excel forecast.
The prompt
- Write a business plan for my food delivery business, [BUSINESS NAME], in [CITY AND DELIVERY AREA]. The model is [GHOST KITCHEN, MEAL PREP SUBSCRIPTION, OR LOCAL DELIVERY SERVICE FOR RESTAURANTS]. My resources: [KITCHEN, DRIVERS, EXPERIENCE AND BUDGET]. Research with links: 10 competitors in my area (offer, prices, fees, reviews), the delivery apps available and their commission ranges, and food safety and permit rules for my city. Write: summary, model and offer, customers, competition, menu or service design for delivery, ordering channels (own website vs apps), delivery zones and times, drivers and fleet, packaging and food quality in transit, food safety, operations and peak-hour staffing, refunds, marketing, risks, and financials. Build an Excel model with orders per day, average order value, food cost, packaging, app commission or card fees, driver cost, refunds, contribution margin per order, fixed costs and a 2-year forecast. Mark assumptions. Send Word and Excel.
What to change
- [BUSINESS NAME]: E.g. "Bowl Theory".
- [CITY AND DELIVERY AREA]: E.g. "Phoenix, 4-mile radius from Midtown". Your agent studies the market there.
- [GHOST KITCHEN, MEAL PREP SUBSCRIPTION, OR LOCAL DELIVERY SERVICE FOR RESTAURANTS]: Pick the model, e.g. "ghost kitchen with 2 virtual brands" or "weekly healthy meal prep".
- [KITCHEN, DRIVERS, EXPERIENCE AND BUDGET]: E.g. "rented commissary kitchen, 2 part-time drivers, 6 years as a line cook, $60,000".
Example result
- Summary
- Bowl Theory is a delivery-only kitchen in a rented commissary in Midtown Phoenix, serving rice and grain bowls built to travel well. We sell through the main delivery apps for reach and our own website for margin. Two virtual brands share one kitchen and one ingredient list.
- Offer
- • Bowl Theory: 8 rice and grain bowls, sauces on the side
- • Late Night Bao (virtual brand): 5 items using the same proteins, open until 1 a.m. on weekends
- • No fries or crispy items that go soggy in 20 minutes
- Customers
- • Office workers at lunch, students and young professionals at dinner and late night
- • Gyms and offices for group orders
- Delivery zones and times
- • Zone A: 0 to 2 miles, 25 minutes; Zone B: 2 to 4 miles, 35 minutes
- • Peak: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.
- Unit economics per order (illustrative assumptions)
- • App order ($28): food cost $8.40, packaging $1.60, app commission about 25% to 30% of the order, refunds and promos $1.20, card fee included; margin about $3.10
- • Direct order ($28 + delivery fee): food $8.40, packaging $1.60, own driver $5.50, card fee $0.95; margin about $8.40
- • Goal: 40% of orders direct by month 12, using a loyalty program and printed menu inserts in every bag
- Packaging and quality
- • Vented containers, sauces in sealed cups, tamper-evident bag stickers
- • Test every new item with a 25-minute drive before it goes on the menu
- Food safety
- • Commissary health permit, food handler cards, hot holding under 2 hours, insulated bags for drivers
- Operations
- • 2 cooks and 1 packer at peaks; expo checks every bag against the ticket
- • Prep list based on last 4 weeks of sales by day
- Numbers (illustrative assumptions)
- • Orders per day: 70 at month 3, 140 at month 12
- • Break-even at about 95 orders a day
- • Fixed costs: commissary rent, insurance, POS and website, marketing
- Risks
- • App fee increases: grow direct orders
- • Bad reviews from late or cold food: smaller zones, better packaging
- • Driver shortages: mix own drivers with app delivery
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and pick your model, then add your area, resources and budget.
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen or send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Your agent researches competitors and app fees with links, then sends a Word plan and an order-level Excel model.
- Ask for changes like "model a weekly meal prep subscription instead" or "shrink the zone to 3 miles".
Tips for a better result
- Work out the margin per order on apps and on your own site separately. They are very different.
- Design the menu for travel. Test every item after a real 20 to 30 minute drive.
- Put a reason to order direct in every bag, like a discount code for your own website.
- Ask your agent for a weekly to-do: attach your sales export and get a report of margin per order by channel.
food delivery business plan: FAQ
- Is a food delivery business profitable? It can be, but app commissions, packaging and refunds take a big share of each order. Many delivery businesses grow direct orders to improve margins.
- What is a ghost kitchen? A delivery-only kitchen with no dining room. It often runs one or more virtual brands that exist only on delivery apps and websites.
- Do I need a permit to sell food for delivery? Usually yes. Food businesses need a health permit for the kitchen and food handler training, and home kitchens are often limited. Check your city and county rules.
- Can I use it for a meal prep business? Yes. Pick the meal prep subscription model and the plan focuses on weekly menus, order cutoffs, batch cooking and subscription retention.
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