The verdict in three sentences
Centralising tills, stock and purchasing across several restaurants costs 60,000 to 150,000 EUR in custom development or 70 to 200 EUR per venue per month in SaaS. The main gain is a food cost reduction of 3 to 5 points thanks to consolidated reporting and group purchasing. For a 6-restaurant group turning over 4.2 M EUR, 3 points of food cost is worth roughly 126,000 EUR a year.
What a multi-site management system covers
A restaurant group needs far more than a till: it needs a consolidated, real-time view of margins, stock and purchasing across every venue.
| Module | Restaurant SaaS | Custom Kolonell |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-site payment till | Included | Included |
| Stock and inventory management | 20 to 50 EUR/site/month | Integrated |
| Food cost per recipe and dish | Often an add-on | Integrated |
| Group purchasing and central buying | Partial | Full |
| Real-time consolidated reporting | Vendor-dependent | Custom |
| Team scheduling and clock-in | Add-on | Optional integrated |
| 2026 entry cost | 0 to 5,000 EUR setup | 60,000 to 150,000 EUR |
The strength of custom is matching the group's spec sheets (recipes, allergens, portions) and automating supplier orders from stock thresholds.
The measured impact on food cost and waste
In hospitality, food cost is 28 to 35 % of revenue. Loose management generates 2 to 4 % waste (expiry, theft, over-portioning). A consolidated tool reins in these leaks.
| 2026 metric | Before (per-site management) | After consolidated software |
|---|---|---|
| Average food cost | 33 % | 29 % |
| Waste and breakage | 3.5 % | 1.5 % |
| Monthly inventory time | 12 h/site | 3 h/site |
| Theoretical/actual stock gap | 6 % | 2 % |
| Consolidated reporting delay | 15 days | Real time |
| Average gross margin | 66 % | 70 % |
Across 6 sites, lower waste and optimised group purchasing usually add 2 to 4 points of gross margin in the first year.
Mini case study
Thomas, director of a 6-restaurant group in Toronto, turns over 4.2 M EUR with a 33 % food cost. Moving to 29 % through consolidated reporting and group purchasing saves 4 points, roughly 168,000 EUR a year. The 120,000 EUR custom software pays for itself in under 9 months, before the 54 monthly inventory hours saved across all sites.
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FAQ
What budget for 6 restaurants in 2026?
In SaaS, 70 to 200 EUR per venue per month, i.e. 5,000 to 14,400 EUR a year for 6 sites. Custom means 60,000 to 150,000 EUR upfront then 250 to 700 EUR monthly hosting.
Does the software handle group purchasing?
Yes. Custom centralises supplier orders, applies the central's negotiated rates and triggers replenishment automatically from each site's stock thresholds.
Can I track food cost per dish?
Yes, from spec sheets (recipes, portions, ingredient cost). The system calculates the real margin of each dish and flags those whose ingredient cost drifts.
Does it integrate with accounting and payroll?
In custom, we connect accounting (financial exports), payroll and team clock-in. In SaaS it depends on the vendor's available connectors.
How long to roll out across all sites?
Budget 3 to 6 weeks in SaaS and 4 to 6 months in custom, with a progressive site-by-site switch and manager training.
Let's scope your project. Tell us the number of restaurants, your current food cost and existing tools (till, accounting) for a precise quote. 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.
