Most single-location restaurant owners think they need expensive enterprise F&B software to manage costs properly. But large platforms like Apicbase and TouchBistro are built for chains, not your one restaurant. Simple alternatives exist that give you control without the complexity or hefty price tag.
Why large platforms don't make sense for one location
Large F&B systems target chains with 10+ locations. They pack in features like centralized purchasing, multi-location reporting, and complex integrations. Sounds impressive, right? But you're paying for functionality you'll never touch.
⚠️ Note:
Large platforms often cost €300+ per month. For one location with €50,000 monthly revenue, that's 0.6% of your turnover just on software. That's more than many restaurants keep as profit.
- Apicbase: From €300/month, aimed at chains
- TouchBistro: POS system with F&B module, €200+/month
- Oracle Micros: Enterprise solution, €500+/month
Simpler alternatives for one location
As a self-employed hospitality entrepreneur, you've got three main options that make way more sense than bloated platforms.
Option 1: Excel + manual tracking
Many entrepreneurs start with Excel for recipes and costs. It works, but eats up time and invites errors.
💡 Example:
You have 25 dishes on your menu. Updating ingredient prices every week:
- Time per dish: 5 minutes
- Total per week: 2+ hours
- Per year: 100+ hours of Excel work
Cost: €0, but lots of time
- Advantages: Free, full control, no subscription
- Disadvantages: Time-consuming, error-prone, no automatic calculations
- Suitable for: Small locations with few dishes
Option 2: Simple hospitality apps
Various affordable apps exist specifically for self-employed hospitality businesses. These focus on essentials: food cost, recipes, and HACCP. I've seen this mistake cost the average restaurant EUR 200-400 per month - paying for enterprise features they don't need instead of choosing focused tools.
💡 Example comparison:
For a restaurant with 30 dishes:
- Tools like KitchenNmbrs: €24.99/month, food cost + HACCP
- Apicbase: €300+/month, many extra features
- Excel: €0/month, but 2+ hours/week of work
Difference: €275/month savings vs. large platforms
- Advantages: Affordable, mobile, automatic calculations
- Disadvantages: Less comprehensive than enterprise systems
- Suitable for: Restaurants, bistros, cafés with 1-3 locations
Option 3: POS system with basic F&B features
Modern POS systems often include basic recipe management. Handy if you need a new POS system anyway.
- Advantages: Everything in one system, sales data linked
- Disadvantages: F&B functionality often limited
- Suitable for: Locations that need a new POS system anyway
What you actually need as one location
Focus on features you use daily. Not what sounds impressive in a demo.
💡 Checklist of required features:
- Record recipes with exact costs
- Automatically calculate food cost percentage
- HACCP temperature registration
- Allergen registration per dish
- Mobile accessible (kitchen doesn't have a laptop)
Everything else is nice-to-have, not need-to-have
Cost comparison on annual basis
The price differences are massive over a year.
- Excel: €0/year + 100 hours of your own time
- Simple app: €300/year + minimal time
- Large platform: €3,600+/year + implementation time
⚠️ Note:
Large platforms often have setup costs, training costs, and integration costs on top of the monthly subscription. Budget €5,000+ for the first year.
Upgrade to a larger system only when necessary
Only upgrade once you actually hit the limits of a simple system.
- At 5+ locations: Centralized management becomes important
- With complex purchasing: Direct supplier connections help
- With franchising: Standardization across locations is crucial
- At €1M+ revenue: Advanced analytics become valuable
For most self-employed entrepreneurs, this moment never arrives. And that's perfectly fine.
Compare yourself?
Try KitchenNmbrs free for 7 days
Discover why hospitality entrepreneurs choose KitchenNmbrs. No credit card required.
Start free trial →How do you choose the right alternative? (step by step)
Determine your real needs
Write down what you do daily: calculate costs, record temperatures, look up recipes. Focus on features you're missing now, not on what sounds fancy.
Calculate the real costs
Add up: subscription + setup + training + your own time. Excel seems free, but 2 hours per week is 100 hours per year. Large systems have hidden costs.
Test with a small system
Start with a simple app for 1-3 months. If it's not enough, you can always upgrade. Going the other way (from large to small) is much harder.
✨ Pro tip
Try a local Dutch hospitality app for 14 days with your actual menu data. If you can set up 8 recipes and generate accurate food costs within your first week, you've found your solution.
Was this article helpful?
Frequently asked questions
Isn't Excel just enough for cost calculation?
Excel works, but eats up time and invites errors. Every supplier price increase means manually updating all recipes. For small locations with few dishes it can work, but quickly becomes unwieldy.
Why are large F&B systems so expensive?
They're built for chains with complex needs: centralized purchasing, multi-location reporting, advanced integrations. You pay for functionality you as a single location will never use.
Can I upgrade to a larger system later?
Yes, you can always do that. Start small and upgrade only once you actually hit limits. Most self-employed entrepreneurs never need an enterprise system.
What if my POS system already has F&B features?
Check if those features meet your needs. Often POS F&B modules are limited in functionality. If it handles your basic needs, great.
How do I know if a system fits my location?
Test it with your own recipes and numbers. Can you calculate the food cost of your best-selling dish within 10 minutes? Then it's probably user-friendly enough.
Do simple apps handle allergen management properly?
Most focused hospitality apps include allergen tracking per dish, which meets legal requirements. They're often simpler to use than enterprise systems for this basic compliance need.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
Compare for yourself — KitchenNmbrs vs. the rest
There are multiple food cost tools on the market. KitchenNmbrs stands out through simplicity, speed, and a complete HACCP package included. Test it free for 14 days and judge for yourself.
Start free trial →