The verdict in three sentences
A custom multi-property foundation for a restaurant chain costs 50,000 to 90,000 EUR excl. tax in 2026, plus 20,000 to 40,000 EUR in modules (online ordering, loyalty, food cost). The real lever is not the POS, which you already have: it is centralizing food cost and inventory, which gains 2 to 4 margin points. Commission-free online ordering replaces platforms that take 25 to 30 % of every delivered ticket.
Why custom for a chain
A restaurant group doesn't suffer from a lack of tools, but from a stack of tools that don't talk to each other: one POS per site, a spreadsheet for inventory, a delivery platform that keeps the customer data. Custom software consolidates a single source of truth: recipes, material costs, sales per site, all in a common database. That is what lets you objectively compare two restaurants and act on food cost where it slips.
| Module | Budget 2026 (EUR excl. tax) | Main gain |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-property foundation | 50,000-90,000 | Consolidated real-time view |
| Commission-free online ordering | 12,000-20,000 | 0 % vs 25-30 % platforms |
| Loyalty program | 8,000-15,000 | +15-20 % visit frequency |
| Per-site food cost tracking | 10,000-18,000 | -2 to 4 points material cost |
| Centralized inventory | 9,000-16,000 | -50 % stockouts |
| POS integration (API) | 6,000-12,000 | End of double entry |
The ROI calculation
Food cost averages 28 to 34 % of revenue in restaurants. Fine per-site control brings it toward the low end. Here is the 2026 order of magnitude for a chain of five restaurants.
| Metric | Before | After software |
|---|---|---|
| Annual revenue (5 sites) | 6,000,000 EUR | 6,000,000 EUR |
| Average food cost | 32 % | 29 % |
| Annual material cost | 1,920,000 EUR | 1,740,000 EUR |
| Material savings | — | 180,000 EUR/yr |
| Delivery commissions avoided | — | 45,000 EUR/yr |
| Total investment | — | 110,000 EUR excl. tax |
With 225,000 EUR of combined annual gains, the 110,000 EUR investment pays back in under seven months.
Mini case study
Thomas, director of a group of four bistros in Paris's 11th arrondissement, generates 4.8 M EUR revenue and loses around 210,000 EUR/year in delivery commissions at 28 %. By deploying a commission-free online ordering module at 18,000 EUR excl. tax and food cost tracking at 15,000 EUR excl. tax, he reclaims 140,000 EUR of commissions in year one (two-thirds of orders shift to direct) and gains 2.5 points of material margin, i.e. 120,000 EUR. The 33,000 EUR investment pays back in under two months.
FAQ
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Do we need to change POS for this project?
Not in most cases: we integrate with the existing POS via API, for 6,000 to 12,000 EUR excl. tax, removing double entry without scrapping your hardware.
Does commission-free online ordering really work?
Yes for loyal customers and click-and-collect: groups that promote their direct channel shift 50 to 70 % of recurring orders to it, saving the 25-30 % platform commission.
How long to deploy across all sites?
Allow 3 to 5 months for the foundation and a pilot site, then 2 to 3 weeks per additional property once the model is proven.
What does per-site food cost concretely change?
It reveals gaps between comparable restaurants and targets recipes that cost too much: a 2 to 4 point gain on multi-million revenue means tens of thousands of euros.
Can we start with a single module?
Yes, many start with online ordering or food cost, at 10,000-20,000 EUR excl. tax, then extend once ROI is proven.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your number of sites, your current POS and your delivery commissions: we'll scope a foundation and the priority modules. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
