Every minute your team spends walking to the office to check a spreadsheet costs you money. Your chef needs the cost price of tonight's special, but you're three rooms away fumbling through Excel tabs. Kitchen-based systems turn those costly delays into instant decisions.
Why office and kitchen don't mix
The kitchen runs on pace and split-second decisions. Waiting for someone to walk to the office to look something up breaks the workflow completely.
💡 Example:
It's busy, your supplier calls: "Salmon has gone up 20%, do you still want to order?"
- With spreadsheet: "I'll call you back, need to go to the office"
- With mobile system: You check the cost price directly and say yes or no
Difference: 10 minutes vs. 10 seconds
Practical problems with office spreadsheets
- Nobody walks to the office during service - Too busy, too far away
- Only you have access - Chef can't look it up themselves
- No updates during work - New prices only get into the system later
- Rules get forgotten - What's not directly available doesn't get used
⚠️ Heads up:
A system that only works in the office barely gets used in practice. Your team will go back to working on gut feeling.
Benefits of a system in the kitchen
With a mobile system, you have all the information right at hand, wherever and whenever you need it.
- Direct insight during purchasing - Check cost prices while the supplier waits
- Team can contribute - Chef sees for themselves what dishes cost
- Quick adjustments - Enter new prices and recalculate instantly
- No interruption to workflow - Stay in the kitchen, stay productive
💡 Example:
Your chef wants to add a new dish and asks: "What can this cost at 30% food cost?"
- Enter ingredients: 2 minutes
- Calculate cost price: automatic
- Minimum selling price: visible right away
Decision made, back to cooking
Accessibility for the whole team
A good system works for everyone, not just the owner. Your chef needs to be able to see what dishes cost, without bothering you.
One of the most common blind spots in kitchen management is assuming everyone has the same access to information you do. But your sous chef shouldn't have to hunt you down just to check if a dish is still profitable.
- Multiple users - Everyone has their own account
- Different access levels - Chef sees cost prices, not all financials
- Always up-to-date - Changes are visible to everyone immediately
- No file hassles - No "which version is the latest?"
Time is money in the kitchen
Every moment your team waits for information costs money. A system that's directly available keeps operations smooth.
💡 Example:
Calculate time loss per day:
- 3x per day walking to the office: 15 minutes
- Searching in spreadsheet: 10 minutes
- Owner hourly rate: €30
Cost: €12.50 per day = €4,500 per year
How do you choose the right system for your kitchen?
Test accessibility
Try the system during a busy service. Can you find the information you need within 10 seconds? Does it work on your phone in the kitchen?
Check team access
Make sure your chef and other team members can also get access. Test whether they find the system intuitive and can use it without training.
Measure time savings
Compare how long it takes to look up cost prices with your current method versus the new system. Add up the minutes per day.
✨ Pro tip
Test any system during your busiest Friday night service, not during quiet Tuesday lunch. If it works when you're slammed with orders and three people need information simultaneously, it'll work anytime.
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
Can my team handle a mobile app?
Modern hospitality apps are designed for busy kitchens. If your team can use WhatsApp, they can use a kitchen app. Most systems are more intuitive than Excel.
What if there's no WiFi in the kitchen?
Many apps work offline too and sync as soon as there's a connection again. Check this functionality before committing to any system.
Isn't a spreadsheet safer for my data?
A professional app has better security than an Excel file on a computer. Plus if your computer crashes, you lose everything. Cloud-based systems have automatic backups.
Doesn't a mobile system cost more than Excel?
Factor in the time costs. If you save 30 minutes a day at €30/hour, you earn back €450 a month. That's more than most apps cost.
Can I transfer my Excel data?
Most professional apps can import recipes and prices from spreadsheets. You don't have to start from scratch rebuilding everything.
What happens during peak service when everyone needs access?
Cloud-based systems handle multiple users simultaneously without slowing down. Unlike a single computer in the office that only one person can use at a time.
How do I train staff who aren't tech-savvy?
Start with your most tech-comfortable team member and have them train others. Most kitchen apps are designed to be learned in under 15 minutes of hands-on use.
📚 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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