Waste from incorrect purchase frequency costs restaurants an average of 5-12% of their ingredient costs. You buy too much at once because it seems convenient, but products spoil before you use them. By aligning your purchase frequency with your actual consumption, you prevent money from literally going in the trash.
Why incorrect purchase frequency is so expensive
Many restaurants order for the wrong reasons: minimum order values, discounts on larger quantities, or simply because it's easy. The result? Your cooler is full of products you don't use in time.
⚠️ Watch out:
Fresh products lose value every day. After 3 days, lettuce has already lost 20% of its value, even if it hasn't spoiled yet.
Measure your actual consumption per product
Before you can adjust your purchase frequency, you need to know how much you actually use. Do this by tracking for 2 weeks:
- How much of each product you use daily
- What gets thrown away and why
- Which products spoil fastest
- On which days you sell more or less
💡 Example:
Restaurant with 80 covers per day uses on average:
- Lettuce: 2 kg per day
- Tomatoes: 3 kg per day
- Fish: 4 kg per day
- Herbs: 200 grams per day
Based on this, you can determine: do you order daily, every other day, or twice a week?
Determine the optimal order frequency per product group
Not all products have the same shelf life. Divide your ingredients into categories:
- Daily: Fresh fish, bread, herbs
- Every other day: Vegetables, meat, dairy
- Twice a week: Fruit, eggs, cheese
- Weekly: Dry products, canned goods, frozen items
💡 Example calculation:
Fresh fish lasts 2 days, you use 4 kg/day:
- Order daily: 4 kg per order
- Order every other day: 8 kg per order
- Twice a week: 14 kg per order (too much, will expire)
Optimal: order 4 kg daily
Calculate the costs of different scenarios
Compare what different order frequencies cost you in waste:
💡 Calculation example:
Lettuce at €3/kg, consumption 2 kg/day, lasts 4 days:
- Order daily: 0% waste = €0
- Every other day: 5% waste = €9/month
- Twice a week: 15% waste = €27/month
- Weekly: 25% waste = €45/month
Difference: €45/month = €540/year in unnecessary waste
Smartly work around minimum order values
Many suppliers have minimum order values. This doesn't mean you have to order a lot of the same product:
- Combine different fresh products in one order
- Add long-lasting products to reach the minimum
- Collaborate with other restaurants for joint orders
- Find suppliers with lower minimum amounts for fresh products
Factor in seasons and weekly patterns
Your consumption varies by season and day of the week. Adjust your purchase frequency accordingly:
⚠️ Watch out:
Never order based on your busiest day as standard. Then you'll have too much inventory 5 days a week.
- Monday/Tuesday: order less (quiet days)
- Thursday/Friday: order more (busy days)
- Summer: more salads and cold dishes
- Winter: more warm dishes and comfort food
How do you adjust purchase frequency? (step by step)
Track your consumption and waste for 2 weeks
Keep a daily record of how much of each product you use and how much you throw away. Also note the reason for waste (expired, damaged, over-ordered).
Categorize products by shelf life
Create categories: daily (fish, herbs), every other day (vegetables, meat), twice a week (fruit, dairy), weekly (dry products). Determine the optimal order frequency per category.
Calculate costs per scenario
Compare for your 5 most expensive fresh products what different order frequencies cost in waste. Choose the frequency with the lowest total costs (purchasing + waste).
Test and adjust
Start with the new frequency and track your waste for 1 month. Adjust where needed and align with seasons and weekly patterns.
✨ Pro tip
Check your 5 most expensive fresh products for waste every month. Often your consumption changes slowly and you only notice after months that your purchase frequency no longer fits.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
What if my supplier has a high minimum order value?
Combine different fresh products in one order or add long-lasting products to reach the minimum. You can also collaborate with other restaurants for joint orders.
How much waste is normal in a restaurant?
On average 5-15% of your ingredient costs. Under 5% is excellent, above 15% means your purchase frequency probably isn't right.
Do I really need to order fresh fish daily?
It depends on your volume. With less than 2 kg per day you can order every other day, but pay close attention to quality and shelf life.
How do I track consumption without a lot of extra work?
Have your chef note at the end of each day what was thrown away and why. After 2 weeks you'll see patterns and can adjust your purchase frequency.
What if I order too little and run out of products?
Start cautiously and keep a 1-day buffer for fresh products. Better to have a bit too much than too little, but do track your waste to find the balance.
📚 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.
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