The kinds of food vendor, nine questions to ask before you open an account, and a two-week test that prices your top 20 items on the same unit.
9 min read
GuidePut every price on the same unit (per lb, per each, per gallon) from the pack size, then compare. Worked example, pack-size cheat sheet and template.
9 min read
GuidePlate cost is each ingredient's amount times its cost per unit, added up. The formulas, yield, batches and modifiers, with a free template.
9 min read
GuideThe food cost formula with a worked example, three mistakes that skew it, and a nine-step checklist to bring your restaurant's food cost down.
9 min read
GuideRead a food distributor invoice line by line, from pack sizes to catch weight, fees and credits. Then check it at the door and in the office.
9 min read
GuideCompare each item's unit price with its last delivery and check the pack size. A weekly method with worked examples and a checklist to catch price creep.
9 min read
GuideMenu engineering sorts dishes by how often they sell and what each plate earns after food cost. The two tests, a six-dish example and what to do next.
9 min read
GuideWho orders, order guides, pars, vendor minimums, counts and price checks between your own locations, for owners opening a second or third restaurant.
9 min read
GuideA free restaurant inventory count sheet in PDF and Excel, laid out in shelf order, with how to value each line and turn a count into an order.
9 min read
GuideLabor cost % = labor cost / net sales x 100. Worked examples for a week and a day, prime cost, staffing by the hour and how to see overtime coming.
9 min read
ComparisonNeed a BlueCart alternative? BlueCart is a supplier marketplace, free for buyers. RestaurantMate compares the vendors you already use, at your prices.
9 min read
ComparisonChoco is a free app for sending orders to your distributors. RestaurantMate compares vendor prices before you order and tracks food cost after.
9 min read
ComparisonCraftable and RestaurantMate both build multi-vendor orders in one cart. See which vendors fit in each, how prices are found and what each costs.
9 min read
ComparisonYour distributor's free app shows one distributor's prices. RestaurantMate compares every vendor you use before you order. What each does, and how to use both.
8 min read
ComparisonMarginEdge records what you paid after the invoice. RestaurantMate checks your vendors' prices before you order. Compare features, cost and fit.
9 min read
ComparisonMarketMan learns prices from invoices and EDI. RestaurantMate checks every website vendor you use before you order. Plans, prices and who fits which.
9 min read
ComparisonOttimate codes, approves and pays restaurant bills after they arrive. RestaurantMate shows vendor prices before you order. Who should pick which.
9 min read
ComparisonLooking for a Restaurant365 alternative? How R365's accounting suite and RestaurantMate's buying tools differ on price, setup and fit.
9 min read
ComparisonComparing vendor prices with a spreadsheet works and costs nothing. What it gets right, what it costs in hours, and when RestaurantMate fits better.
9 min read
ComparisonLooking at xtraCHEF on Toast? What it does, where it is strong, and how RestaurantMate differs: vendor prices before you order, $99 a location.
9 min read
GuideFood distributor minimums come as dollars, cases or line items. Plan your orders so a $14 saving on one item doesn't cost you a $35 fee.
9 min read