The verdict in three sentences
A Dublin fine food wholesaler supplying 180 restaurants and caterers loses hours each week taking orders by text, phone and WhatsApp. A B2B webshop with trade accounts, one-click repeat orders and delivery slots costs, as a 2026 ballpark in Ireland, 18,000 to 35,000 EUR excluding VAT and takes about 10 weeks. With an average basket of 320 EUR ex VAT, a few extra orders a week pay back the investment well within two years.
What chefs really expect
A head chef at a Temple Bar bistro or a caterer in Dún Laoghaire orders at 11 pm after service or at 7 am before prep. They want their usual list (olive oil, aged cheeses, charcuterie, spices), tweak two quantities, pick a delivery slot and confirm. They do not want to call, and certainly not to wait for a callback.
A consumer webshop misses the point: VAT-inclusive prices, courier delivery, no credit terms. A B2B portal shows trade prices ex VAT per account, offers one-click repeat orders and allows 30-day terms for approved accounts.
| Chef's need | Consumer webshop | B2B trade accounts webshop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Public, VAT included | Negotiated, ex VAT per account |
| Usual restock | Empty cart each visit | Repeat list in one click |
| Delivery | Courier, 48 to 72 h | Own van slots, next day |
| Payment | Card upfront | 30 days end of month once approved |
| Invoices | One per order | Monthly statement plus PDF invoices |
| After-hours ordering | Possible, no guidance | Possible, with stock-out warnings |
Budget for a fine food B2B webshop in Dublin
The figures below are 2026 market ballparks in Ireland for a catalogue of 600 to 1,500 SKUs. They vary mainly with fresh product handling (catch weight, use-by dates) and the depth of integration with your accounting or EPOS system.
| Item | 2026 ballpark (ex VAT) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery, journeys and mockups | 2,500 to 4,500 EUR | Workshops with 5 to 10 pilot chefs |
| Catalogue (600 to 1,500 SKUs) | 3,000 to 6,000 EUR | Catch weight, units, origin |
| Trade accounts and per-account pricing | 3,000 to 5,500 EUR | Manual approval of new accounts |
| Repeat orders and saved lists | 2,500 to 4,500 EUR | Reminder the day before the round |
| Delivery slots and van rounds | 3,000 to 6,000 EUR | Capacity per slot and zone |
| 30-day terms and card payment | 2,000 to 4,500 EUR | Credit limit per account |
| Testing, training, go-live | 2,000 to 4,000 EUR | 2 weeks |
| Total | 18,000 to 35,000 EUR | About 10 weeks |
At Kolonell, this project is priced on quote: depending on scope, it falls within the simple or medium custom application bands of our grid. Maintenance follows our public grid of 53, 114 or 183 EUR per month. A Xero or Sage connector is set in the quote.
Slots, rounds and 30-day terms: the real trade-offs
Delivery slots are the heart of the service. A wholesaler running one or two vans cannot promise 180 drops on a Friday morning. The portal must cap orders per slot (for example 25 between 8 and 10 am), close ordering at 6 pm the day before and group addresses by zone: city centre, south Dublin suburbs, Wicklow and Kildare.
Thirty-day terms build loyalty but need guardrails. A credit limit per account (for example 1,500 EUR), an automatic monthly statement and a reminder on day 35 keep late payers in check. New accounts pay by card for their first three orders, at roughly 1.5 to 2.5 % per transaction.
Repeat orders must stay editable. A reminder the evening before ("your usual Thursday order is ready, confirm?") often lets 40 to 60 % of restocks go through without anyone picking up a phone.
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Aoife runs a fine food wholesaler in Dublin supplying 180 restaurants and caterers. She takes 220 orders a month by phone and text, at 12 minutes each to take and rekey, 44 hours a month. She targets 70 % of orders online within 9 months.
Calculation: 154 online orders × 12 minutes = 31 hours recovered a month, about 900 EUR of loaded wage cost in Ireland. The repeat-order reminder generates 15 extra orders a month at a 320 EUR basket, 4,800 EUR of revenue and 1,680 EUR of gross margin at 35 %. Total monthly gain: about 2,580 EUR. For a 28,000 EUR project, payback is around 11 months, maintenance included.
FAQ
Do we need an ERP to launch the B2B webshop?
No, the webshop can run the catalogue and orders on its own at first. A daily export to Xero or Sage is enough up to about 400 orders a month.
How do we handle catch-weight products?
Sell at an estimated unit weight (for example a 2.5 kg wheel) and adjust the invoice to actual weight at picking. The average gap stays under 5 % and appears on the invoice.
Can different restaurants have different prices?
Yes, each account gets its own ex VAT price list or a discount per product family. Three to five price lists usually cover 180 accounts.
Will chefs really pay on time at 30 days?
Most do, with a credit limit and an automatic reminder on day 35. In practice 5 to 8 % of accounts need follow-up, which the dashboard flags.
How long until go-live?
About 10 weeks, including 2 weeks of testing with 5 to 10 pilot chefs before opening to all accounts.
Let's scope your project. Trade accounts, ex VAT pricing, repeat orders and delivery slots: we define the scope and a plan of about 10 weeks. 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.
