Open Pantry Blog

Restaurants can turn quiet hours into revenue with eight tactics: off-peak promotions, special events, online ordering and delivery pushes, loyalty rewards tied to slow periods, opening the room to remote workers, local business partnerships, targeted marketing, and menu items available only off-peak.

Three order management systems dominate Australian wholesale food ordering in 2026: Open Pantry, free for suppliers to start with Pro from $149 a month; Ordermentum, free for venues with supplier plans from $200 a month; and Fresho, order-to-invoice software for fresh food wholesalers from $499 a month plus set-up.

Six health trends are reshaping restaurant menus: plant-based eating, gluten-free and allergen-friendly dishes, low-FODMAP options, functional foods such as probiotics and turmeric, sustainable and ethically sourced ingredients, and personalised nutrition that tailors meals to individual dietary needs.

An integrated order management system unifies ordering, inventory and communication in one platform. For suppliers it improves demand forecasting, automates processing and lowers operating costs; for restaurants it supports menu planning against live stock, cuts waste and keeps ingredient supply consistent.

A recipe cost calculator works out what a dish actually costs by adding every ingredient at its purchase price, a standardised portion size, an allocated share of overhead and labour, then applying your target profit margin to suggest a selling price that protects the dish's contribution.

Costing a menu takes eleven steps: list every ingredient, standardise portions, allocate overheads, account for labour, set a profit margin, calculate the selling price, check it against competitors, monitor costs, adjust for seasonal produce, minimise waste, and use software to keep the figures current.

A prep sheet is a document listing every task, ingredient and quantity a kitchen must ready before service. It sets priorities, assigns responsibility, keeps preparation methods consistent between staff, reduces food waste and helps dishes reach the pass on time during busy periods.

Online branding for food suppliers means building a consistent identity that customers recognise and trust. The guide covers defining a unique selling proposition, telling an authentic brand story, creating a cohesive visual identity, building a usable e-commerce website, showing product quality transparently, and using customer reviews.

Five statistics are shaping the Australian food industry: beef prices tracked low on the Eastern Young Cattle Indicator, plant-based demand heading toward AUD 3 billion by 2030, wine and dairy exports of AUD 2.8 and 3.4 billion, AUD 60 billion in agricultural production, and AUD 13,500 average household food spend.

Automated ordering uses technology to place and track supplier orders without manual entry. Used well it improves order accuracy, links to inventory so stock levels drive reordering, supports par levels and tailored recommendations, and needs regular monitoring of processing times, stock turnover and supplier performance.

The three challenges wholesale food suppliers face most often are running out of stock or letting it spoil, taking orders by phone, text and email, and tracking customer relationship health. Open Pantry answers each with inventory forecasting, one connected order-to-invoice flow, and a customer risk algorithm.

Food cost control comes down to five rules: cost your menu with software, buy only what you need, track inventory automatically, compare supplier prices before ordering, and join a buying group. Applied together they cut waste, protect margins and steady a restaurant's profit.

Suppliers usually blame price when customers drift, but chefs value an accurate, easy ordering experience more. Open Pantry helps suppliers hold onto customers by giving chefs a fast ordering site, removing manual handling and order errors, and putting fulfilment and customer data in one platform.

Menu costing starts with food cost percentage: add beginning inventory and purchases, subtract closing inventory, then divide by food sales. Compare that figure with your ideal food cost, work out the cost per serving, and divide it by the ideal percentage to set a menu price.

AI is reshaping food wholesale in five places: inventory optimisation, automatic stock updating and replenishment, automated order capture, demand forecasting that informs pricing, and POS integration that decrements stock as sales are recorded. Together they cut waste, prevent stockouts and remove purchasing guesswork.

Turning a first order into a lasting account rests on five habits: personalised communication built on order data, fast and courteous service, loyalty rewards, a consistent brand experience, and content that builds a community. Open Pantry's insights tool shows which restaurants to follow up and when.

Larger restaurants buy from suppliers with a reputation, and that reputation is built on five things: consistent product quality, clear and early communication, fixing problems quickly, pricing that reflects value rather than the lowest number, and service across sales, delivery and accounts.

Five tools matter most for a wholesale food and beverage supplier: order management software, real-time inventory tracking, a supplier pool that puts you in front of buyers, analytics and reporting, and integration with POS and accounting systems. Open Pantry brings all five into one platform.

Data drives growth for wholesale food and beverage suppliers in four ways: analysing what customers buy, using analytics to run operations and delivery routes more efficiently, optimising inventory against forecast demand, and personalising offers and marketing from purchase history.

The ten dining trends to watch in 2024 run from edible insects and feral-animal meat to hotel bars, trolley service, seaweed, retro Australian dishes, kindness on the floor, metaverse marketing, interactive food experiences and the fast-growing non-alcoholic drinks market.