If you run a restaurant with an 8% operating margin — a common number for independents — and DoorDash takes 25% of an order, you don't make money on that order. You lose money on it. This isn't a provocation, it's arithmetic.
The commission math
Third-party delivery platforms charge commission on every order. Published rates as of early 2026:
- DoorDash: 15% (self-delivery), 25% (partner delivery), 30% (premium placement tier).
- Uber Eats: 15% (lite), 25% (plus), 30% (premium).
- Grubhub: 15% (basic), up to 30% with marketing tiers.
Most independents end up on the 25–30% tiers because the "lite" tier deprioritizes you in the app search and you get fewer orders.
What 25% commission actually does to your margin
Let's model a $40 order on DoorDash at 25% commission. Your costs on that order:
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Gross order value | $40.00 |
| DoorDash commission (25%) | −$10.00 |
| Food cost (~30%) | −$12.00 |
| Labor (~25%, fully loaded) | −$10.00 |
| Packaging, bags, utensils | −$1.50 |
| Occupancy, utilities (~10%) | −$4.00 |
| Net | $2.50 ( 6%) |
At 25% commission, a well-run kitchen can eke out 5–7% margin on a delivery order. At 30% commission, that drops to 0–2%, which means you're covering costs and not much else. One comped meal erases the profit of ten orders.
Contrast with a dine-in or pickup order through your own channel, where there's no 25% commission cut:
| Gross order value | $40.00 |
| Food cost | −$12.00 |
| Labor | −$10.00 |
| Packaging (if pickup) | −$1.00 |
| Occupancy | −$4.00 |
| Net | $13.00 (32%) |
Same order, through your own channel, nets five times as much.
The delivery-fees trap
DoorDash will tell you that their fees are split between you and the customer (customer pays a delivery fee, you pay commission). That's true. It's also beside the point. What matters to your P&L is the commission you're paying — and that's 25–30% of gross order value.
What to do instead: a four-part playbook
1. Launch your own first-party ordering channel
Your own branded website and online ordering. Zero commission. You keep 100% of the margin and you own the customer data. The guests who already know your restaurant (most of them) will order direct if you make it easy.
2. Train your regulars to order direct
Every guest who ordered via DoorDash once should be trained to order direct the second time. Tactics that work:
- Put a card in every delivery bag: "Order direct next time — same menu, better price, 10% off first order." Use a unique URL or QR code.
- Post your direct-order link on every social channel and on Google.
- When a guest orders direct, text them a thank-you. Next time they go to order, that text is the easiest link to tap.
3. Build an SMS list
SMS marketing has 98% open rates. A 500-person SMS list turns into 30+ reorders every time you send a dinner-rush text. That's 30 orders that paid 0% commission instead of 25%.
4. Keep third-party as a backup, not a main channel
Don't pull off DoorDash entirely — some of your orders really are from new customers you wouldn't otherwise reach, and 5–7% margin is better than 0. Just stop relying on it as your primary delivery channel.
The consolidation argument
Building the first-party alternative used to mean stitching ChowNow for ordering, Mailchimp for email, Attentive for SMS, Thanx for loyalty — four vendors just to get off DoorDash. In 2026, consolidated platforms bundle all four into one login and one bill. Not because more integration is cool, but because running four tools to replace one channel isn't worth it unless the bundle is cheaper and simpler — which it now is.
Bottom line
Third-party delivery is fine as a 10–15% channel. It's a margin killer as a 40%+ channel. The fix isn't hard: build a first-party channel, train your regulars, and use SMS to bring them back. The tooling for this exists and it's cheaper than you think.