What Delivery Apps Cost US Restaurants: A Food Delivery Markup Data Scraping Report on In-App vs In-Store Menu Prices

Why Delivery Markups Matter

For restaurant operators

Commission rates on the main US delivery platforms commonly range from about 15% to 30% of the order value, depending on the plan the restaurant chooses. If menu prices on the app are the same as in the store, that commission comes straight out of margin. If prices are set too high, conversion falls and customers switch to a competitor. Knowing what similar restaurants charge on each platform helps operators find the right balance.

For franchise groups

Franchisors want consistent pricing across outlets and platforms. Franchisees often set delivery prices individually, which creates inconsistent customer experiences and makes it hard to measure what delivery really costs the system.

For consultants and investors

Delivery markups reveal pricing power, channel strategy and margin pressure. A brand that keeps a low markup while growing delivery sales may be gaining share at a cost.

Methodology

Markets

The illustrative sample covers six metro areas: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and Charlotte.

Restaurants

Restaurants were selected in four cuisine groups and two ownership types:

Price sources

• Delivery platforms. DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub menus, collected at a fixed delivery address near each restaurant.
• In-store or first-party prices. The restaurant's own website, its own online ordering page or its published menu. Where a restaurant offers first-party online ordering for pickup, that price was used as the in-store reference.

Item matching

Each delivery-app item was matched to the same item on the first-party menu by name, size and description. Only exact matches were kept. Combos and bundles were excluded unless the components were identical.

Markup calculation

For each matched item:

Markup % = (delivery-app item price − in-store item price) ÷ in-store item price × 100

Markups were calculated before delivery fees, service fees, taxes and tips, so they reflect the menu price difference alone.

Collection

Food delivery markup data scraping collected menus in two weekly waves (weekday lunch and weekend evening), because some restaurants adjust availability by daypart. Each observation recorded platform, restaurant, address, item, size, price and collection date.

Key Findings

1. The overall markup

Most restaurants charge more on delivery apps than in-store, but there is a meaningful group that does not. Those restaurants either absorb the commission, rely on customer fees charged by the platform, or are on a plan where the economics work without a markup.

2. Markups by cuisine group

Cafés and bakeries show the highest markups. Their average order values are low, so a fixed or percentage commission takes a larger share of each order, and operators raise app prices to compensate.

3. Chains versus independents

Chains usually set delivery pricing centrally and can negotiate platform terms, which keeps markups lower and more consistent. Independents set prices individually, often once at onboarding, and rarely revisit them.

4. Markups by metro

Coastal metros show slightly higher markups, likely reflecting higher operating costs and higher delivery demand.

5. Platform-to-platform differences

Where prices differ between apps, the gap is usually 3 to 6 percentage points. Operators often set prices once per platform and then forget them, so differences reflect history more than strategy.

6. Item price level drives percentage markup

Low-price items such as coffee, sides and drinks carry the highest percentage markups. Main dishes over $20 show the lowest.

7. What a markup means for the customer basket

For a typical two-person delivery order of about $35 in-store value, an 18% menu markup adds roughly $6 before fees. Combined with delivery and service fees, the customer may pay 30% to 50% more than the in-store total. This is one reason first-party ordering and pickup promotions have grown.

Case Example: Estimating What Delivery Costs One Outlet

Using the same method, a single café can estimate its own delivery cost and compare it with local peers:

All values illustrative. The calculation helps an operator see whether its markup is in line with local competitors and what a change might recover, before testing the effect on order volume.

Sample Data

The record below shows the structure of one matched observation.

{
  "metro": "Charlotte",
  "restaurant_name": "Example Cafe South End",
  "ownership_type": "independent",
  "cuisine_group": "cafe_bakery",
  "item_name": "Avocado Toast",
  "item_size": "Regular",
  "instore_price_usd": 9.50,
  "instore_price_source": "first_party_online_menu",
  "platform_prices_usd": {
    "doordash": 11.99,
    "ubereats": 11.49,
    "grubhub": 11.99
  },
  "markup_pct": {
    "doordash": 26.2,
    "ubereats": 20.9,
    "grubhub": 26.2
  },
  "collection_date": "2026-10-04",
  "daypart": "weekday_lunch"
}

Recommendations for Restaurant Operators

Based on the patterns in the data, operators can take five practical steps:

• Set a deliberate markup per platform. Start from your commission rate and local peer medians rather than a single flat increase.
• Use lower markups on hero items. The items customers compare most, such as a signature burger or a large pizza, influence conversion the most. Keep their markup close to the local median.
• Recover margin on add-ons. Drinks, sides and extras tolerate higher markups and carry higher margins.
• Review prices quarterly. Many restaurants set app prices at onboarding and never return to them. A quarterly review against fresh data keeps prices aligned with competitors and costs.
• Promote first-party ordering. Where your own online ordering is cheaper for customers, tell them. The price gap is a reason for loyal customers to order direct.

Markup Trend Tracking

A single snapshot shows where markups stand today. Monthly food delivery markup data scraping shows how they move. In the illustrative tracking window, the median markup in the sample rose by about one percentage point over six months, with the largest increases among independent cafés. Chains held steady. Tracking these trends helps operators see whether competitors are raising app prices, which can create room to adjust their own prices without losing share.

How to Use Food Delivery Markup Data

• Restaurant operators: benchmark your app prices against local peers in the same cuisine and set a deliberate markup per platform.
• Franchise groups: detect outlets whose app prices differ from brand guidance, and measure channel profitability system-wide.
• Restaurant consultants: support menu engineering with evidence on what customers pay on each channel.
• Investors: compare pricing power and channel strategy across listed and private restaurant brands.
• Delivery platforms and software vendors: understand merchant pricing behaviour by segment.

Limitations

• The in-store reference uses first-party online menus where available; actual in-store menu-board prices may differ slightly.
• Markups exclude customer delivery fees, service fees, taxes and tips.
• Promotions and platform discounts change daily and are tracked separately from base prices.
• Commission rates vary by restaurant and plan and are not published per restaurant; the case example uses an assumed rate.
• The sample covers selected metros and cuisines; results may differ elsewhere.

Data Fields Available

Conclusion

Delivery apps are now a core sales channel for US restaurants, and menu markups are the main tool operators use to manage their cost. The data shows that markups are common but inconsistent: they vary by cuisine, ownership type, city, item price and even platform. Food delivery markup data scraping replaces guesswork with a clear view of what similar restaurants charge, so operators can price deliberately.

Get a delivery markup benchmark for your market

Food Data Scrape builds custom delivery markup benchmarks for restaurants, franchise groups and consultants across US metros. Share your location, cuisine and competitor set, and we will deliver a sample markup report for your area.