The verdict in three sentences
A custom multi-site management software for a restaurant group in Amsterdam costs 35,000 to 75,000 EUR in 2026. It pays off by recovering 3 to 5 points of food cost through till consolidation, centralised stock tracking and pooled purchasing. Budget 5 to 8 months of project time for a group of 4 to 12 outlets.
Isolated tills vs multi-site consolidation: the comparison
Independent tills prevent any consolidated view. Custom software centralises the data and makes food cost controllable in real time.
| Criterion | Isolated tills | Custom multi-site |
|---|---|---|
| Consolidated group view | No | Real-time |
| Controllable food cost | After the fact | Continuous |
| Purchasing | Per site | Centralised / pooled |
| Typical food cost gap | Baseline | -3 to -5 points |
| Stocktakes | Manual, scattered | Guided, consolidated |
| Project cost | Low (tills) | 35,000-75,000 EUR |
| Management reporting | Spreadsheet | Automatic |
Pooled purchasing alone often justifies the project: negotiating in volume across 8 sites instead of 8 scattered buys meaningfully cuts food cost.
Breakdown of a 55,000 EUR budget
| Item | Share of budget | Indicative amount |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping and multi-site model | 12% | 6,600 EUR |
| Till and sales consolidation | 24% | 13,200 EUR |
| Stock management and food cost | 24% | 13,200 EUR |
| Centralised purchasing and suppliers | 18% | 9,900 EUR |
| Management reporting and alerts | 12% | 6,600 EUR |
| Acceptance, training, deployment | 10% | 5,500 EUR |
The stock/food-cost and purchasing modules concentrate 42% of the budget: that's where margin recovery happens.
Mini case study
Thomas, director of a 6-restaurant group in Amsterdam (combined revenue 7,800,000 EUR/year), runs an average food cost of 31%, i.e. 2,418,000 EUR in annual food cost.
A custom software at 55,000 EUR that recovers 4 points of food cost (from 31% to 27%) saves 312,000 EUR/year in food cost. Break-even is reached in about 2 months, one of the fastest ROIs in this line-of-business series.
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FAQ
Do we have to replace our existing tills?
Not necessarily. The software connects to your current tills via API or export to consolidate sales. If your tills are too closed, a gradual switch is quoted separately.
How does food cost become controllable in real time?
By crossing sales (recipes) with stock (theoretical vs actual consumption). Gaps surface per site and per family, letting you react before the monthly close.
Is centralised purchasing compatible with per-site specifics?
Yes. The pooled core handles common SKUs while each site orders its local specifics. You keep the best of both models.
How long to deploy across 6 sites?
The project runs 5 to 8 months. Rollout is site by site, with a pilot on 1 or 2 restaurants before generalisation.
What maintenance budget should we plan?
Around 12 to 18% of the initial cost, i.e. 7,000 to 10,000 EUR/year for a 55,000 EUR project, including fixes and evolutions.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many outlets you run and your current tills: we'll price a multi-site consolidation and a target budget. 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.
