The ghost kitchen commission trap
A ghost kitchen has no dine-in revenue, no footfall, no walk-in trade. 100% of revenue comes from delivery orders. At 25–30% commission, a kitchen generating £15,000/month in GMV is paying £3,750–£4,500/month to platforms — every month, forever. After rent, staff, packaging, and ingredients, many ghost kitchens are barely profitable despite strong order volumes.
Direct ordering reverses this. The same £15,000/month at zero commission retains £3,750–£4,500 that was previously lost to the platform. A £3,500 one-off licence cost is recovered in under one month at this volume.
Multi-brand management from one system
Most ghost kitchens operate multiple virtual brands from a single kitchen — burger brand, fried chicken brand, loaded fries brand — each with its own name, menu, and target market. Food-Ordering.com supports unlimited brands from one installation:
- Each brand has its own ordering website and URL
- Each brand has its own menu, branding, and pricing
- All orders from all brands route to the same kitchen
- One back-office manages all brands — menu updates, pricing, hours
- All orders appear in one unified kitchen queue (or split by brand if preferred)
Delivery logistics for direct orders
Platform orders come with platform delivery drivers. Direct orders require independent logistics. Ghost kitchens handling direct orders typically use one of:
- Own delivery drivers: Highest margin, requires driver management and vehicle costs
- Per-job courier services (Stuart, Gophr, Addison Lee): Pay per delivery, no commission on order value. Variable cost, no employee overhead.
- Delivery zone limitation: Some ghost kitchens focus direct ordering on a defined catchment area (e.g. 2-mile radius) where own-driver economics work, and use platforms for outlying areas
The economics work cleanly: if a direct order is £25 and delivery costs £4 via a per-job courier, the kitchen keeps £21. The same £25 on Deliveroo at 30% commission keeps the kitchen £17.50 — and adds platform driver coordination overhead.
Kitchen Display Screen for multi-brand operations
With multiple brands generating orders simultaneously, a Kitchen Display Screen (included in the £3,500 licence) gives the kitchen a unified view of all pending orders across all brands. Orders are colour-coded by brand, sorted by time, and cleared by the kitchen team when complete. No paper tickets lost, no orders missed.
| Comparison at £15,000/month GMV | Platform-only | 50% direct + 50% platform | 80% direct + 20% platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly platform commission | £3,750–£4,500 | £1,875–£2,250 | £750–£900 |
| Monthly direct ordering cost | – | ~£300 (hosting + delivery logistics) | ~£480 |
| Monthly saving vs platform-only | – | £1,575–£1,950 | £3,000–£4,020 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I run multiple virtual brands from one Food-Ordering.com licence?
Yes. Unlimited virtual brands are supported from a single licence at no additional per-brand fee. Each brand has its own ordering site, menu, and branding. All orders route to the same kitchen back-office and display system.
How do customers find our direct ordering site?
Direct ordering sites are promoted via packaging inserts, social media profiles, Google Business Profile, and repeat customer email/SMS campaigns. The goal is to convert one-time platform customers into direct regulars. Platforms generate discovery; direct ordering captures retention.
Build your direct ordering channel
One licence covers all your brands, all your channels. No commission, no monthly subscription. Get the unit economics working for your ghost kitchen.
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