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Restaurant margin intelligence · published

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— For the multi-unit restaurant operator or CFO

What is the right way to compare delivery marketplaces for a restaurant?

How do I compare DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub fairly?

Start hereField guide 7 of 52

Compare the same stores and time period, then normalize each channel to the same eligible-sales definition. For each marketplace, break out commission, merchant fees, restaurant-funded promotions and ads, refunds, error charges, adjustments, expected payout, and actual deposit. Observed marketplace cost % = documented deductions / eligible sales. Compare dollars and rates; a low rate on a thin channel can still contribute less profit.

DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub do not share one ledger. Use each platform’s finalized statement language — DoorDash Page 1, Uber Eats Payment Details, Grubhub restaurant financial statement — and keep native signs. Do not blend them into one unexplained net. Rank only after the categories match. Incremental demand, AOV, and cancel rates belong in the comparison only when those inputs exist on the same basis.

— What working formula does this answer use?

For each channel: observedMarketplaceCostPct = documentedDeductions / eligibleSales × 100, using the same eligible-sales definition and deduction families

— Field checks

  1. 01Lock store list and period before ranking.
  2. 02Do not mix Uber percent columns or Grubhub marketing with DoorDash commission as if they were one fee.
  3. 03State which figures are statement-sourced vs still Unverified.

— Evidence to keep

  • • One finalized statement per channel for the same stores and period
Start with one statementUse redacted data. A missing-evidence result is a valid result.

Sources checked August 21, 2026. Independent operational guidance—not marketplace-endorsed legal, tax, or accounting advice. Read the evidence and corrections standard.

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