The starting point
No regulars, no reviews, no storefront.
This kitchen went live on the delivery apps in mid-August 2026. It's delivery only, so there's no walk-in traffic and no neighborhood that already knows the name. Every customer had to come from the apps.
The owners signed a 12-month engagement with two goals. First, build sales to $1,200 to $1,500 a day. Then keep more of each order, with a payout ratio of 55% to 60%. For the first full month we set a sales goal of $31,700 and a payout floor of 40%, because a launch month is about finding customers, not margin.
Decision 01
Lead with a BOGO, then make sure people see it.
A new store with zero reviews needs a reason for someone to take a chance on it. We ran buy-one-get-one offers on Uber Eats and DoorDash and paired them with Uber Eats ads and a DoorDash sponsored listing, so the offer showed up in front of people scrolling for dinner.
In September, Uber Eats store views were up 83.2%. Uber reported $32.26 in sales for every $1 of ad spend. That's Uber's own attribution, and it overlaps with BOGO sales, so we treat it as a sign the ads were finding people, not as extra sales on top.
Decision 02
Get the platform to pay for part of it.
BOGOs are expensive, and a launch is when the apps most want a new store to succeed. We asked our Uber account manager to co-fund the offer. Uber agreed to cover 10% of the BOGO, which lowered what the kitchen paid on every promo order.
We do this for every client. If you're spending real money on the apps, there's usually some co-funding or ad credit on the table. Here's how to ask for it.
Decision 03
Protect the basics from day one.
Early reviews and error charges shape a new store more than people expect. We answered 59 of 60 Uber Eats reviews in September, and the offers we included in replies brought back $5.60 in sales for every $1 they cost.
The error rate held at 1.4%. We disputed the charges that weren't the kitchen's fault and won 5 of 5. We also launched the store on Grubhub, which is just getting started.
The result
1,230 orders and $57,375 in the first full month.
September 2026 sales were $57,375 across all three apps: $31,272 on Uber Eats, $25,995 on DoorDash and $108 on Grubhub. That's 81% over the $31,700 goal. The payout ratio was 42.7%, above the 40% floor we set for month one.
Most September orders used the BOGO, and that's why the payout ratio sits below the long-term goal. That was the plan. October is about keeping more of each order: a base-and-build menu so the BOGO covers the base item and extras are paid, a rebuilt loaded fries item, and offers for Uber One members that Uber helps fund.