Launching a takeaway offer in your restaurant: the complete guide
In 2026, takeaway sales account for approximately 40% of fast-food restaurant turnover in France, and this share is steadily growing in traditional restaurants too. Whether you're an established restaurateur or just getting started, offering a takeaway service has become an essential growth lever. But beware: improvising this activity can degrade the customer experience, erode your margins, and even create regulatory problems.
This guide takes you through every step, from market research to analysing your first results, including packaging choices, pricing, and legal obligations. The goal: give you a clear method so that your takeaway activity is profitable from the very first weeks.
In a nutshell: launching takeaway in your restaurant requires real preparation
- Analyze local demand: verify that there is a market in your area and identify gaps that no one else is covering.
- Adapt your menu for transport: keep only the dishes that travel well, tested under real conditions.
- Calculate packaging costs: add up every component of an order before setting your prices.
- Comply with regulations: business status, licences, VAT, labelling, and packaging requirements.
- This guide walks you through every step to help you succeed without leaving anything to chance.
Check that there's a takeaway market around your restaurant
Before investing a single euro, it is essential to confirm that there is genuine demand within your catchment area. Even a simple market study can help you avoid launching an offer that fails to find its audience.
Analyse the competing offer in your neighbourhood
Start by listing all the players already offering takeaway within a 500-metre radius: restaurants, bakeries, caterers, supermarkets with snacking offers. For each, note:
- The type of cuisine and price range
- The time slots covered (lunch, evening, weekends)
- The ordering channels used (counter, app, delivery platform)
- Customer reviews on Google and social media
The goal is to spot the gaps that nobody covers. Perhaps your neighbourhood is full of sandwich shops but lacks a healthy hot lunch offer, or no competitor offers family takeaway deals at weekends. That's where your offer will have the most impact.
Prevent takeaway from replacing dine-in
An often underestimated risk: you displace your existing customers instead of winning new ones. If your regulars start ordering takeaway rather than sitting down, you potentially lose on average spend (no drinks, no spontaneous dessert) and on dining room atmosphere.
To limit this, clearly differentiate the two experiences. Offer a slightly different takeaway menu with dishes designed specifically for transport. You can also keep certain creations exclusively for the dine-in service to maintain the appeal of eating in.
Adapt your menu to transport constraints
This is where most restaurateurs get it wrong at first. What's excellent on the plate isn't necessarily excellent after twenty minutes in a bag. Your takeaway menu must be designed and tested for the journey.
Test your dishes after a twenty-minute journey
Prepare your dishes, close them in the planned containers, put them in a bag, and wait twenty minutes. Then taste them. You'll discover that:
- Condensation softens lids and makes fried food soggy
- Some sauces separate or release water
- Salads collapse if the dressing is already mixed in
- Crispy textures disappear almost systematically
This simple test will immediately eliminate dishes that can't handle transport and steer you towards more suitable recipes.
Reduce the menu instead of duplicating it
Resist the temptation to offer your entire menu in a takeaway version. A selection of five to eight items that hold up perfectly during transport is infinitely better than a full degraded menu. A short offer also has operational advantages: fewer different preparations, fewer containers to manage, less waste.
Think in meal deals: a starter + a main, or a main + a dessert. Meal deals increase the average basket and simplify kitchen management.
Dishes that travel best for takeaway
Certain categories of dishes are naturally better suited to transport:
- Bowls: poké bowls, buddha bowls, rice bowls. They travel well and keep their structure.
- Slow-cooked dishes: curries, tagines, chilli. They reheat easily and even gain flavour.
- Sharing platters: aperitif boards, mezze, cheese and charcuterie selections. Ideal for weekends.
- Vacuum-packed or semi-prepared dishes: the customer finishes cooking at home, guaranteeing quality.
To ensure quality right through to the customer's home, choosing the right takeaway food containers is crucial. Each dish format calls for a specific container: find out which containers to choose for your takeaway dishes depending on your type of cuisine.
Calculate packaging cost per order before setting your prices
Packaging is a cost item that many restaurateurs discover too late. It's not enough to look at the unit price of a tray: you need to add up all the components of a complete order.
List every component of a takeaway order
For each typical order, list:
- The main container (tray, box, bowl)
- The lid (sometimes sold separately)
- Cutlery and kits (fork, knife, napkin, salt/pepper)
- Internal padding (dividers, kraft paper)
- Bags and transport solutions
- Optional extras (cup holders, inserts)
Add everything up to get a packaging cost per order. On average, this cost ranges from €0.80 to €2.50 per order depending on the quality level. Factor this amount into your pricing from day one. A margin that looks solid on the dish alone can melt away once packaging is accounted for.
Avoid over-packaging and oversized formats
Using a container that's too large for the portion gives the customer an impression of emptiness and increases your costs needlessly. Conversely, a container that's too small squashes the dish and degrades presentation.
Standardise two or three container formats that cover your entire takeaway menu. Fewer stock references means less storage space, simpler supplier orders, and better pricing through volume.
Sort out legal obligations before the first order
Takeaway sales are governed by specific regulations. Failure to comply exposes you to penalties and problems with your commercial lease.
Company purpose, commercial lease and takeaway licence
First check that your legal status and company purpose authorise takeaway sales. If your business is registered solely for dine-in catering, a modification may be necessary. Your commercial lease must also permit this activity. Some leases restrict the use of the premises to seated dining.
Regarding alcohol sales for takeaway, you'll need a specific off-licence. The sale of alcohol to minors is of course prohibited and must be the subject of visible signage.
VAT, labelling and allergens
n France, the VAT rate applicable to takeaway is 10% for dishes intended for immediate consumption. Check each product category to apply the correct rate.
At the point of handover, each container must show:
- The name of the dish
- The list of allergens present
- The use-by date and time if the dish is kept chilled
- Recommended storage conditions
Food hygiene training is compulsory for at least one team member. Health and safety standards for production are the same as for dine-in service.
Rules applicable to food packaging
The rules applicable to food containers
Since the AGEC law and its implementing decrees came into force, food packaging has been subject to increasing requirements:
Food contact suitability: each container must be certified as suitable for contact with food products.
Sorting instructions: the Triman logo and sorting instructions must appear on the packaging or be provided to the customer.
Reuse requirements: for establishments serving more than 20 customers, reusable tableware has been mandatory for on-site consumption since 2023. For takeaway, reuse requirements are gradually becoming stricter.
Choose your ordering method
The ordering channel your customers use directly impacts your margins, your operations, and your customer relationships.
Ordering channel | Commission rate | Customer data | Initial volume | deal for |
Counter | None | No | Limited to foot traffic and regular customers | Start with no cost |
By phone | None | Partial | Medium | Loyal office-based customers |
Click & Collect (direct website) | None | Yes | Progressive | Build loyalty and manage your margins |
Platforms (Uber Eats, Deliveroo, etc.) | ~25-35 % | No | High and rapid | Build visibility at launch |
Counter, phone, or Click & Collect ordering.
The simplest option remains counter ordering: the customer walks in, places an order, waits, or comes back to collect it. No commission fees, but the flow is limited to passers-by and regular customers.
Phone ordering works well for a loyal office-based customer base. Click & Collect through your own website or a dedicated solution offers the best compromise: customers order in advance, you prepare without stress, and they collect their order at the scheduled time. It is a direct channel, with no third-party commission, allowing you to collect customer data and build loyalty.
Delivery platform commissions
Platforms such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo, or Just Eat typically take between 25% and 35% of the total order value. This cost can absorb your entire margin if your prices are not adjusted accordingly.
However, these platforms provide visibility and a volume of orders that you would not be able to achieve on your own when starting out. Use them as an acquisition channel, not as your main channel. The medium-term objective is to convert these customers to your own ordering system.
Bring your customers back to your direct channel
Some effective tactics:
- Include a flyer in every platform order with a discount code valid only on your website.
- Offer a loyalty programme exclusively for Click & Collect customers.
- Clearly display the link to your own ordering page on your social media channels.
- Offer a tangible benefit: a free dessert, reduced fees, or a larger portion.
Reorganize the kitchen and dining area between the two services
Adding takeaway service to an existing restaurant means managing two simultaneous flows. Without proper organization, the quality of both dine-in and takeaway service can suffer.
Set up a dedicated order collection area
Ideally, takeaway order collection should take place in an area separate from the dining room entrance. If your layout does not allow this, at least create a clearly marked waiting area, with a display stand or shelf where ready orders are identified by name or number. This helps keep the flow smooth and prevents takeaway customers from blocking the entrance for dine-in customers.
Anticipate lunchtime order peaks
The 12:00–1:30 pm time slot generally accounts for 70 to 80% of takeaway orders. To handle this peak without slowing down the kitchen:
- Assemble packaging in advance: containers with lids ready, cutlery-and-napkin kits prepared, bags opened.
- Prepare key elements ahead of time: bowl bases, rice, and portioned sauces.
- Dedicate a kitchen station to assembling takeaway orders if the volume justifies it.
- Use a dedicated screen or ticketing system to avoid mixing dine-in and takeaway orders.
Store your packaging
Packaging takes up space. Plan for a dedicated storage area that is dry and easily accessible from the packing area.
Organize storage by type: containers, lids, bags, and cutlery. Calculate your weekly consumption after the first two weeks and adjust your orders accordingly to avoid shortages without overcrowding your storage space.
Promote your new takeaway offer
An offer that exists but that no one knows about will not generate any revenue. Communication must begin even before the launch.
Update your Google listing and social media
Your Google Business profile is often the first point of contact between a potential customer and your restaurant. Enable the "Takeaway" and "Click and collect" attributes. Update your takeaway-specific opening hours if they differ from dine-in. Add photos of your packaged dishes customers want to see what they'll receive.
On your social media, announce the launch with a series of posts: teaser before D-day, behind-the-scenes preparation, first customer reviews. Instagram and Facebook remain the most effective channels for local
Use your packaging as a branding tool
Once the customer leaves your restaurant with their order, the packaging is the only medium that still carries your name. A plain kraft bag is a missed opportunity. A bag with your logo, your colours, and your ordering website address works for you on every street walk and at every office lunch break.
Customisation goes beyond the bag: stickers on containers, printed bands, business cards slipped into the order. If you want to go further, explore the customisation options for your restaurant packaging to turn every order into a marketing tool.
Track your results and adjust your offer
The launch is just the beginning. The first few weeks are a full-scale testing phase. Monitor your indicators closely to adjust quickly.
Key indicators to track in the first months
Our keys metrics :
Indicator | Purpose | Tracking frequency |
Number of takeaway orders / days | Measure ramp-up | Daily |
Average takeaway basket | Compare with dine-in average | Weekly |
Takeaway share of total turnover | Aim for 15-25% at 3 months | Monthly |
Actual packaging cost per order | Stay below 8-10% of sale price | Monthly |
Direct channel vs platform order ratio | Gradually increase direct | Monthly |
Customer reviews mentioning takeaway | Detect recurring issues | Ongoing |
The most common adjustments after one month
After four to six weeks, restaurateurs typically identify the same improvement areas:
- Menu reduction: some dishes don't sell or cause recurring transport issues. Remove them without hesitation.
- Price adjustment: if your actual margin is lower than forecast, slightly increase takeaway prices or revise your packaging formats.
- Schedule changes: some slots don't generate enough orders to justify staffing. Focus on the peaks.
- Customer journey optimisation: if customers complain about waiting times, review your assembly process or introduce advance ordering.
Finally, don't forget to draft a dedicated business plan for your takeaway activity if you're considering significant investment (collection zone fit-out, equipment purchase, ordering website development). This will help you validate profitability before committing major spending.
FAQ
Should you do market research before launching takeaway?
Yes. Analyse the competing offer in your neighbourhood (restaurants, bakeries, caterers) and identify the gaps nobody covers. This will prevent you from launching a redundant offer and help you position your menu where demand actually exists.
How do you adapt your menu for takeaway?
Test each dish after twenty minutes in its sealed container. Reduce your menu to five to eight items that travel well: bowls, slow-cooked dishes, sharing platters. A short, controlled menu is far better than a full degraded one.
How much does packaging cost per takeaway order?
On average between €0.80 and €2.50 per order, adding up the container, lid, cutlery, napkin, bag, and padding. This cost must be factored into your selling price from the start to protect your margins.
What legal obligations apply to restaurant takeaway?
Check your legal status, commercial lease, and obtain the necessary licence if you sell alcohol for takeaway. Comply with labelling rules (allergens, product name, storage conditions), the applicable VAT rate, and ensure at least one team member holds food hygiene certification.
