Delivery zone: where you deliver, and what each area pays
Updated October 20, 2026
A delivery zone is the area a restaurant delivers to. It is set either as a radius (every address within, say, 3 miles) or as areas drawn on a map, such as two neighborhoods and the business district, and each zone can have its own delivery fee and minimum order. Outside the zone, customers can't order delivery, though they can still pick up.
In short
- Radius = one circle around the restaurant. Simple, but it ignores rivers, highways and traffic.
- Drawn zones = the areas you really reach in good time, each with its own fee.
- Three ways to charge: a flat fee, a fee that grows with distance, or a fee per zone.
- On Menuthere you can use a radius or draw zones, and checkout checks every address, on every plan.
Radius vs drawn zones
| Delivery radius | Drawn delivery zones | |
|---|---|---|
| How it's set | One distance from the restaurant | Areas drawn on a map, or added by neighborhood name |
| Follows real geography | No; a river or highway inside the circle still counts | Yes; you leave out what you can't reach quickly |
| Different fees by area | By distance bands | A fee per zone |
| Best for | A compact town or a small delivery area | Cities with barriers, or areas you want to price differently |
How far should a restaurant deliver?
Distance is really time: how long food can travel and still arrive good, and how many deliveries a driver can make in an hour. Many restaurants start with a small area and widen it once delivery times are steady. Use your own numbers: the free delivery fee calculator helps price each band.
Three ways to charge for delivery
| Method | How it works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Flat fee | One charge on every delivery | $3.99 anywhere in the area |
| By distance | A base charge plus a rate per extra mile, or price bands | $2.99 for the first 2 miles, then $1.00 per mile |
| By zone | Each zone has its own charge | Downtown $2.99; Riverside $4.99 |
A priced example: distance bands
| Distance | Delivery charge |
|---|---|
| 0 – 2 miles | $2.99 |
| 2 – 4 miles | $4.49 |
| 4 – 6 miles | $5.99 |
Add a minimum order for delivery, say $15, so small orders don't cost more to deliver than they earn, and a free delivery threshold above it, say $40, to reward bigger orders. (Illustrative prices.)
How Menuthere handles delivery zones
- Radius or Custom Boundary. Under Delivery area, keep Delivery Radius and type the Maximum delivery distance, or choose Custom Boundary and draw zones. Start from my radius turns your circle into a first zone. Distances are set in kilometers (1 mile ≈ 1.6 km).
- Draw or add by name. Tap the map to drop corners, or type a neighborhood or district and Menuthere draws its outline from OpenStreetMap. Switch a zone off to pause it.
- Road distance. When a customer drops a pin, the road distance to your store is measured; past your radius the pin is refused. Checkout measures again. A customer outside every zone is stopped at checkout for every delivery method and offered takeout instead.
- Charges. Choose Flat fee, By distance (base plus per km, or up to 20 price bands) or By zone. The map shows each price band as a ring before you save. See delivery charges.
- Minimum order. Delivery orders must reach your Minimum order amount; customers see how much more to add. It never applies to takeout or dine-in.
- Safe defaults. A store that never set a radius uses 15 km. If every zone is switched off, your radius applies again, so a half-finished setup never stops deliveries.
- On every plan. Free and reduced delivery bands start on Lite.
What it doesn't do: there is no minimum order per zone yet; the minimum applies to the whole store. Distances are in kilometers, not miles.
Draw the area you really serve and price each part of it. 0% commission.
Related terms
- Free delivery threshold: free or cheaper delivery above an order value.
- Delivery dispatch: getting the order to a driver.
- White-label delivery: couriers for orders beyond your own drivers' reach.
FAQs
What is a delivery zone for a restaurant?
A delivery zone is the area a restaurant delivers to, set as a radius around the restaurant or as areas drawn on a map. Each zone can have its own delivery fee, and customers outside every zone can't order delivery.
What is the difference between a delivery radius and a delivery zone?
A radius is one circle of a set distance around the restaurant. Zones are areas you draw to match the places you can reach quickly, so they can leave out a river or highway and carry different fees.
How should a restaurant charge for delivery?
The three common ways are a flat fee, a fee that grows with distance, and a separate fee for each zone. Many restaurants pair the fee with a minimum order and free delivery above a higher order value.
What happens when a customer is outside the delivery zone?
On Menuthere the customer can't place a delivery order to that address. Checkout tells them, names the areas you do deliver to, and offers takeout instead.
Can I set delivery zones in miles on Menuthere?
Menuthere's delivery distances are set in kilometers, so convert miles first: one mile is about 1.6 kilometers. Drawn zones need no distance at all, because you draw the area on the map.
Sources (5)
- Menuthere help: Delivery radius, updated 6 Oct 2026 (Maximum delivery distance in km; road distance at the pin and at checkout; straight-line fallback; default 15 km; applies to every carrier): https://menuthere.com/docs/delivery/delivery-radius (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: Delivery zones, updated 6 Oct 2026 (Custom Boundary; Start from my radius; draw or add by area name from OpenStreetMap; switch a zone off; By zone charges; customers outside every zone stopped for every method, can choose takeaway; all zones off → radius applies; no minimum order per zone yet): https://menuthere.com/docs/delivery/delivery-zones (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: Delivery charges: flat, by distance, by zone, updated 14 Oct 2026 (Flat fee; Base + per km or up to 20 price bands; By zone; price-band map): https://menuthere.com/docs/delivery/delivery-charges-flat-by-distance-by-zone (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: Minimum order and maximum distance, updated 6 Oct 2026 (minimum order for delivery only; "Add $X more"; whole-store minimum): https://menuthere.com/docs/delivery/minimum-order-and-maximum-distance (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Menuthere help: When a customer is outside your area (checkout names the areas you deliver to): https://menuthere.com/docs/delivery/when-a-customer-is-outside-your-area (accessed 20 Oct 2026)