20 Feb How To Increase Restaurants Profits in Just One Day

I know what you’re thinking. Another post promising some magic trick to boost sales overnight. But that’s not what this is.

Instead, I want to share something I do with every single restaurant I work with—a simple but ridiculously effective way to put extra cash straight back in your pocket.

Most of us focus on the big costs—food, drinks, wages. But have you ever properly looked at how much you’re spending on consumables?

I’m talking about blue roll, toilet paper, napkins, cleaning products, takeaway containers, condiments, menus, coasters—the boring stuff that somehow eats away at thousands of pounds a year.

For a mid-sized restaurant, these “small” costs typically add up to £15,000–£25,000 a year. But here’s the good news—you can cut at least 20% of that out with just a bit of effort.

6 Steps to Instantly Save on Consumables

1️⃣ Dig out your invoices – Get a proper look at your annual spend on consumables.
2️⃣ Rank them by cost – List out your top-spending items.
3️⃣ Spot the culprits – Work out what percentage of your total spend each item takes up.
4️⃣ Look for the 80/20 pattern – You’ll probably find 20% of the products account for 80% of your total consumable costs (spoiler: it’s usually blue roll, toilet paper, and cleaning chemicals).
5️⃣ Have a word with your suppliers – Work with one or two suppliers max to get better deals while keeping your options open.
6️⃣ Pick your battles – Focus on negotiating savings on your highest-spend items. Suppliers still need to make a profit, so consider offering exclusivity, increasing your order volume, or securing discounts on lower-usage products.

We all want to increase sales, but sometimes, the easiest way to boost profits is simply by spending less. And this is one of the quickest and most effective ways to do just that.

Make It Even Easier with Pendulo

If this all sounds like a faff, we’ve got you covered. Pendulo is an app made by hospitality people, for hospitality professionals. Our AI-powered tool scans your invoices line by line, breaking down your spend and showing you exactly where to save.

Need a hand? Let’s chat! 🚀

RECOMMENDED READ: Why is it important to have a reduced inventory at your restaurnt