Best Inventory System for Restaurants Using Multiple Vendors

Large restaurant chains and hospitality businesses with multiple locations often partner with broadline distributors that offer lower prices and vendor-managed inventory. However, a lot of food service businesses prefer to order from multiple vendors. That allows them to have better quality assurance and offer a more diverse menu. In order to streamline relationships with multiple suppliers, businesses in the restaurant industry need a reliable inventory management solution. The best inventory systems for restaurants using multiple vendors have a wide range of additional features. That includes wholesale ordering, inventory tracking, subscriptions, predictive ordering, and other tools to make buying wholesale products easier. In this post, we’ll share more about the specifics of restaurant inventory systems, especially if the business partners with multiple distributors. We’ll also showcase how BlueCart’s Endless Aisle can be used as an inventory system by hospitality businesses.

Key takeaway: Restaurant inventory management is a complex process and requires powerful capabilities due to the limited shelf life of food products. BlueCart is one of the best restaurant inventory systems as it also has functionalities related to wholesale ordering and recipe management.

What Are Restaurant Inventory Systems

These are tools that help track and manage the inventory of food, drinks, and supplies in food service businesses. A lot of restaurants around the world still use manual processes. However, in the US, the term restaurant inventory system is mainly associated with inventory management software. This innovative restaurant technology ensures accurate inventory tracking and helps restaurants maintain profitability. It also has features to reduce food waste and avoid overstocking or understocking.

There are different types of restaurant inventory systems. Some eateries choose a solution that’s part of the ecosystem of another software provider. For example, a restaurant business that uses Toast’s POS software might also choose their inventory management tools. Other food service businesses opt for a separate restaurant inventory system that can be integrated with the POS or other types of software.

Features of Restaurant Inventory Software

These solutions have various functionalities. Some of them are limited to key inventory management tools. Others have additional features related to restaurant data analytics or vendor relationship management.

Inventory tracking is the most important functionality of restaurant inventory systems. Each ingredient and product needs to be tracked in real time. Inventory is also updated automatically as items are used or sold.
Waste monitoring is crucial in the food service industry. Restaurant managers need to track overproduction losses or other wastage.
Recipe management links inventory management with menu items.
Cost tracking features help with price management and calculating the cost of goods sold.
Thanks to analytics features and reports, managers and business owners can see insights on stock discrepancies, slow-moving items, or changing prices on certain ingredients. This improves the decision-making process and allows management to react quickly to any changes.

BlueCart’s Endless Aisle for Restaurants as an Inventory Solution

Although our endless aisle is primarily associated as an eCommerce tool and B2B marketplaces for food distributors and restaurants, it can also help food service businesses with inventory management.

BlueCart’s platform has powerful inventory management capabilities. It can be used by restaurants with multiple locations as well as small food service businesses. BlueCart can be integrated with other types of popular restaurant software. The AI-powered predictive ordering feature of BlueCart’s Endless Aisle is another tool of our wholesale ordering software that makes inventory management easier.

BlueCart also has functionalities related to recipe management and cost analysis of menu items. It can be used to calculate the profitability of single menu items (both dishes and beverages) or of the establishment as a whole.

Thanks to BlueCart’s Endless Aisle, food service businesses can find suppliers and get optimal value for money. BlueCart helps vendors sell smarter, not harder, and has various B2B marketing features. This makes it a much better option for sourcing products or vendors compared to going through wholesale directories or simply browsing catalogs of different suppliers.

Frequently Asked Questions about Restaurant Inventory Systems for Multiple Vendors

As a platform that connects suppliers with businesses in the hospitality industry, BlueCart is a reliable solution for both wholesale buyers and sellers. You’ll also find plenty of resources for various niche markets on our website. From tips on how to increase wholesale sales to detailed information on how to use BlueCart’s Endless Aisle for wholesalers. Check out our answers to common questions regarding restaurant inventory systems.

What Are the Trends in Restaurant Inventory Management?

As the hospitality industry is large and competitive, businesses need to adapt and follow the latest trends in the sector. When it comes to restaurant inventory management, one of the major trends is related to digitalization. Food service businesses can save time and reduce errors by switching to innovative restaurant inventory systems. These solutions are often integrated with other parts of a food service business. For example, inventory management software can also be used to manage wholesale orders of supplies and ingredients. Restaurant efforts to become more sustainable are also trendy, as they can lead to reduced food waste.

Is Bar Inventory Management the Same as Restaurant Inventory Management?

There are many similarities between bar and food inventory management. However, the biggest difference between the two is that bars deal primarily with beverages with longer shelf life compared to perishable food products in restaurant pantries. That’s why food service businesses need to have a better inventory turnover rate and order items more frequently to guarantee their freshness. Most inventory management solutions for hospitality businesses can be tailored to the needs of both food service businesses and bars. That’s also true for POS systems and other software.

What Is Restaurant Inventory Turnover?

Restaurant inventory turnover is a metric that’s used to calculate how often or how many times a restaurant uses its inventory over a period of time. A high inventory turnover rate in restaurants usually means better efficiency and proper restaurant inventory management. On the other hand, a low inventory turnover rate can lead to spoilage and inventory shrinkage. Typically, restaurants use their inventory between 4 and 8 times a month. That number might be lower for fast food establishments as they often order their ingredients frozen. Analyzing food waste, optimizing the menu, and tightening portion control can improve a restaurant’s inventory turnover ratio.

BlueCart: Restaurant Inventory and Wholesale Ordering Solution

The reason why thousands of businesses use BlueCart’s Endless Aisle is the fact that it combines modern inventory management tools with wholesale ordering features. The platform can also be used to source vendors, compare prices, and calculate the cost of goods sold of dishes. Whether you want to use BlueCart’s Endless Aisle to calculate your restaurant’s profit margin or wish to easily order from multiple vendors, simply sign up today!

Suppliers can also include BlueCart as part of their wholesale marketing strategy. Schedule a demo and see why BlueCart is one of the best order management tools for distributors.