If you’re growing your food business across multiple locations, you’ll quickly find out that managing costs across numerous sites can be a pretty complex task. 

But you don’t need to start panicking, with a few helpful tips, you can manage your costs and keep on making a profit. 

Here are five effective ways to control costs across your takeaway locations:

#1 Create a centralised purchasing system for all locations

When you have a centralised purchasing system, you can negotiate better deals with suppliers and ensure consistent quality across all your locations. 

By consolidating all of your orders, you can leverage your buying power to get better discounts and avoid overpaying for ingredients, food packaging like printed coffee cups and other goods.

It also helps to track inventory levels and identify potential cost-saving opportunities across all stores.

#2 Optimise your inventory management 

Efficient inventory management is crucial when you want to control costs, especially over multiple locations.

By carefully tracking your stock levels, you can avoid overstocking and minimise waste.

It’s best to get a system where you can monitor inventory in real time and identify slow-moving items. You can do this by using barcode scanners or inventory management software to streamline this process.

#3 Standardise all of your procedures

Ensuring consistency across all your locations can help you reduce costs and improve efficiency. 

Develop standard operating procedures for everything from food preparation to customer service. This will help to prevent errors and waste and ensure that all your locations are operating at peak efficiency.

#4 Don’t be scared of technology

Technology can be a powerful tool for controlling costs. Consider using POS systems, online ordering platforms, and delivery management software to streamline your operations. 

These tools can also help you gather data on customer behaviour and identify areas where you can improve efficiency and reduce costs.

5. Monitor and analyse performance

You need to be super organised when you’re running multiple locations, which involves regular monitoring and analysis of performance.

This will help you identify areas where costs are high and where you can make improvements. Use key performance indicators (KPIs) to track your progress and measure the effectiveness of your cost-saving tasks.

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively control costs across your multiple takeaway locations and improve your profitability. Remember, continuous monitoring and evaluation are essential for ensuring long-term success.

Tags: food packaging, packaging ideas, packaging inspiration, food business, takeaway business