Planning delivery zones: how to define your catchment area
Whether radius or polygon — operators who plan delivery zones deliberately deliver more profitably, faster, and with fewer wasted runs.
What is a delivery zone?
A delivery zone is the geographic area to which a restaurant delivers orders. It defines which addresses are served, what minimum order value applies, and whether a delivery surcharge is charged. Well-planned delivery zones protect against uneconomical runs and form the basis for reliable delivery promises.
Further reading: GastroSystem delivery zones feature, Starting a delivery service
Radius or polygon — which fits when?
Both models have their place. The choice depends on urban structure, travel time, and vehicle capacity:
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Radius (straight-line)
Simple to set up, well suited for rural areas or where the road layout is uniform. Drawback: a 3 km radius can mean very different travel times depending on the urban area.
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Polygon (freeform)
Enables precise boundaries along neighbourhoods, railway lines, or main roads. Recommended for urban businesses — you exclude unprofitable fringe areas without losing core customers.
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Multiple graduated zones
Zone A (0–2 km): no surcharge, minimum order €15. Zone B (2–4 km): €1.50 surcharge, minimum order €20. Zone C (4–6 km): €2.50 surcharge, minimum order €25. This model maximises reach while maintaining stable margins.
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Travel-time-based zones
Instead of distance, the expected travel time determines the zone — e.g. max. 20 minutes per delivery. Particularly relevant when delivering quality food or hot dishes where cooling time is a factor.
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Time-of-day variations
During peak hours (11:30–13:30 and 18:00–20:30), a tighter zone with shorter travel times pays off. Outside peak hours, the zone can be expanded because the kitchen and drivers have capacity.
Common planning mistakes and their consequences
Poorly defined zones cost money and ratings:
Delivery costs
Zones that are too large without a surcharge drive up the cost per delivery — often unnoticed until the monthly statement arrives.
Rating
Late deliveries caused by excessively long routes translate directly into lower Google and platform ratings.
Driver utilisation
Long individual runs prevent batching and reduce the number of deliveries possible per shift.
Setting minimum order value and delivery surcharge correctly
These parameters decide the profitability of each zone:
Calculate minimum order value
Rule of thumb: delivery costs (driver, packaging, platform fee) should not exceed 25–30% of the order value. With €5 delivery costs, the sensible minimum order value is €18–20.
Communicate delivery surcharges transparently
Customers accept surcharges when they are clearly displayed. Hidden costs at checkout lead to abandoned carts.
Graduate surcharges by zone
A flat surcharge for all zones subsidises distant customers at the expense of nearby ones. Graduated surcharges are fairer and more profitable.
Free delivery as a conversion lever
Free delivery above a certain order value (e.g. from €30) measurably increases average basket size — typically by 15–25%.
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Common questions about delivery zones
How large should my delivery zone be?
As a rule of thumb: up to 3 km by bicycle, 5–7 km by car. What matters is that you can deliver within 30 minutes.
Can I set different opening hours per zone?
Yes. In GastroSystem you can set individual availability times per zone — for example, activating the outer zone only in the evenings.
What happens if an address is just outside the zone?
The system automatically declines the order or shows the customer the nearest available zone. You can manually unlock exceptions.
Should I align platform zones with my own zones?
Not necessarily. On delivery platforms you can run tighter zones since the platform fee is higher. For direct orders, expanding the zone is worthwhile.
How often should I review my delivery zones?
Once per quarter. Check average delivery time, return rates, and ratings by zone — outliers are usually a zone planning problem.
Set up delivery zones with one click
With GastroSystem you define radius and polygon zones, graduate surcharges, and set minimum order values — directly in the dashboard.
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