NEW PARTNER PLAYBOOK
Zomato & Swiggy new restaurant partner checklist
A successful launch is not just “getting listed.” It means the outlet can accept an order, prepare it consistently, understand what reached the bank and identify where profit was lost. Use this checklist before launch and repeat it after the first week.
Interactive launch checklist
Tick each item only after you have seen the evidence yourself. Your choices stay on this page and are not uploaded.
Launch readiness
Build one source-of-truth folder
Create one folder for each month, then keep four evidence groups inside it: order reports, platform invoices, settlement statements and bank confirmations. Never edit the raw downloads. If you clean duplicate rows or standardise dates, create a separate working copy and write down the change.
This sequence prevents a common mistake: treating the difference between gross sales and bank payout as one mysterious “commission.” That gap can include restaurant-funded discounts, service charges, GST on services, advertising, refunds, withholding and earlier adjustments.
Worked example: regular orders, weak cash
Imagine a newly listed delivery kitchen completes 400 orders in its first month. Reported restaurant sales are ₹2,40,000 and the payout is ₹1,58,000. The owner sees activity and assumes the outlet is profitable. A structured review gives a different picture.
| Monthly measure | Illustrative amount | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurant sales | ₹2,40,000 | ₹600 average order value |
| Payout received | ₹1,58,000 | 65.8% of reported sales reached the settlement |
| Food ingredients | ₹76,000 | Costed from recipes and purchase prices |
| Packaging | ₹12,000 | ₹30 per completed order |
| Contribution before fixed costs | ₹70,000 | Payout minus food and packaging in this simplified view |
| Rent, fixed payroll and overhead | ₹82,000 | Monthly cost not yet covered |
| Simplified operating result | −₹12,000 | Sales activity did not yet produce operating profit |
The example does not prove that a platform charged too much. It tells the owner where to investigate: first reconcile the ₹82,000 difference between sales and payout, then examine recipe cost, packaging, discounts and fixed overhead. The right response might be a menu change, better availability, a narrower promotion or more orders at a positive contribution—not simply “increase sales.”
Use the first orders as a controlled learning period
- Check discoverability. Search the correct locality and confirm name, cuisine, hours, menu and prices.
- Observe the entire order. Time acceptance, preparation, handover and delivery-ready status. Record only operational timing, not customer personal data.
- Read the first settlement. Match included order identifiers and dates before checking amounts.
- Separate growth from profit. New orders, ad-attributed sales and ROAS describe demand; they do not become profit until discounts and variable costs are included.
- Review by day and meal period. A weekly total can hide a weak breakfast shift, a closed day or a profitable weekend dinner.
- Change one thing at a time. If price, photo, discount and ad budget all change together, you cannot tell what worked.
What to record in the first 30 days
| Measure | Question it answers | Useful breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Orders and sales | When is demand appearing? | Week, day, meal period, platform |
| Average order value | Is basket value changing? | Organic, promoted, new, repeat |
| Payout and deduction rate | How much of sales reaches settlement? | Fee, discount, ad, refund, tax movement |
| Item contribution | Which items help cover fixed costs? | Item, combo, channel, campaign |
| Availability and cancellations | Is lost demand operational? | Reason, hour, item |
Open the first-30-days dashboard guide
Where a new partner can get help
Zomato onboarding and first orders
Zomato describes mobile onboarding, progress tracking and a New Restaurant Success module in its Restaurant Partner App. Use the current app or assigned growth manager for account-specific issues.
Read Zomato’s onboarding overviewSwiggy menu and growth tools
Use the Swiggy Owner app for the current menu, performance and support experience. Menu Score can highlight catalogue gaps such as missing images or useful combos.
Read Swiggy’s Menu Score guideFood licence or registration
Use our current FSSAI guide to choose the right category and prepare documents, then complete the application only through official FoSCoS.
Read the FSSAI restaurant guideUnderstanding your own numbers
Use our free local-browser tools for a first reconciliation or margin estimate, then take unresolved contractual, accounting or tax questions to the relevant professional.
Open the free toolsSources and further checks
- Zomato: setting up new restaurants and early-order guidance.
- Swiggy: data-driven menu preparation with Menu Score.
- FSSAI: official food-business licensing and registration information.
- CBIC Circular 167/23/2021-GST: restaurant service supplied through e-commerce operators.
- Our settlement reconciliation method and contribution-margin guide.
Official material supports the general features and regulatory context described here. It does not replace the current in-app process, signed commercial terms or professional advice for a particular outlet.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to join both platforms at the same time?
No universal rule requires that. A small kitchen may prefer to stabilise menu accuracy, preparation and settlement controls on one channel before adding another. If you start both, keep platform-specific orders, deductions and payouts separate.
Should I start advertising on day one?
Only with a clear budget, objective and measurement plan. Make sure the menu converts, operations can fulfil extra demand and contribution remains positive after ad spend and funded discounts.
Which phone number should I call?
Support routes change. Begin inside the authenticated partner app or official portal so the request is attached to the correct outlet. Never send bank credentials, passwords or one-time codes to an unverified caller.
Can this checklist guarantee approval or profit?
No. It reduces avoidable setup and reporting errors. Platform approval, demand and profitability depend on current eligibility, contract terms, customer response and outlet operations.