Guide
Your own drivers, or theirs?
The answer depends on your order density, not on your opinion of the platforms.
In short
Own drivers usually win on cost once you have enough order density to keep them busy, because the cost per drop falls as drops per hour rise. Platform delivery wins when volume is thin or spread out, because you pay per order rather than per hour. The deciding number is drops per driver hour, not the headline commission.
Updated 28 August 2026
The number that decides it
Drops per driver hour. A driver doing one drop an hour is expensive per order. The same driver doing three is cheap. That is why density matters more than distance: a tight zone with concentrated demand supports your own fleet, and a thin spread does not, regardless of how much you dislike paying commission.
What your own drivers actually cost
More than the hourly rate. Count the full picture before comparing, because the invoice-free costs are what catch people out.
- Wages plus employer contributions and holiday pay
- Insurance appropriate to delivery work
- Vehicle costs, or a mileage or fuel allowance
- Idle time between orders, which is the big one
- Cover for sickness and no-shows
What platform delivery actually costs
A percentage per order, which is simple, predictable and expensive at volume. You also give up control of the experience: you cannot influence how the food is carried, how long it sits, or what the customer is told. When a delivery goes wrong the review lands on you, not on the courier.
Batching is where own fleets win
Two orders going to the same street on one run halves your cost per drop. Platforms batch too, but they batch across restaurants and optimise for their network rather than for your food. If your system can batch two of your own drops sensibly, the economics of your own driver improve sharply at exactly the busiest time.
The hybrid most operators land on
Own drivers for the dense inner zone at peak, platform delivery for the outer edge and for quiet periods when a driver would be idle. This is less tidy than picking a side and it is usually the cheapest arrangement. It also means a driver calling in sick does not stop you trading.
Questions, answered straight.
Not covered here? Just ask us.
How many orders do I need to justify a driver?
Work it from drops per hour rather than a total. If you cannot keep a driver at two or more drops an hour through your peak, you are paying for idle time.
What about insurance?
Delivery work needs appropriate cover, and ordinary policies often exclude it. Check this properly before putting anybody on the road, including anyone using their own vehicle.
Are drivers employees or contractors?
This is a live legal question in Ireland and the UK and the answer affects your obligations significantly. Take advice rather than assuming, because getting it wrong is expensive retrospectively.
Does own delivery improve the customer experience?
Usually yes, because you control timing, handling and communication. That is a real benefit and it is hard to put a number on, so do not let it dominate a cost decision.
See it run your restaurant.
Twenty minutes on your menu and your numbers. We'll show you what actually changes in the first month and exactly what it costs. If it's not right for your restaurant, we'll tell you that instead.
- Live in days, not months
- We build your menu and train your staff
- No contract, and thirty days to change your mind
Rather just ring us? +353 87 438 8032
Tell us about your restaurant
We reply the same day, usually inside a couple of hours.