Commercial kitchen services provider My Local Foodie is helping venues become more efficient and profitable through its bespoke, structured approach to operational efficiency.
Bringing decades of passion and expertise, My Local Foodie (MLF) are “chefs helping chefs” courtesy of a team of procurement specialists, former business owners and industry professionals.
Hospitality faces the constant challenges of rising costs, inconsistent performance, inefficient workflow and time-consuming manual processes. MLF aims to overcome these obstacles by optimising purchasing, streamlining kitchen operations and reducing waste.
This is done primarily through its custom software Costimator and procurement platform FoodieBuy, and individual account managers dedicated to optimising menu engineering, systems and training to help operators hit targets and reduce admin time, while delivering consistency and control – with stronger margins.
Costimator helps operators manage deliveries, reconcile orders and integrate with accounting systems, to make data-driven decisions easier.
“Since implementing Costimator, we can already see how it’s going to transform our operations,” offers Doug Poole, Black Rhino operations manager in South Australia.
“The software is easy to use, and the dedicated account management is excellent. Really looking forward to seeing the results!”
MLF’s 5-step system incorporates:
- Buy: easily place orders with preferred suppliers, source sustainable items and optimise buying habits.
- Cost: build a menu skeleton, cost recipes based on pantry items and link directly to your POS system. Share recipe cards with the team, including methods and photos.
- Count: control food costs, reduce waste and boost profits, using a customisable stocktake system that is quick to set up, easy to use and audit-friendly.
- Link: integrate your POS and accounting software to centralise data and eliminate the need for manual data uploads.
- Report: allow controlled access to key metrics, visual reports and custom analytics, from quick snapshots to detailed insights.
Established 20 years ago in Geelong, My Local Foodie says it strives to support hospitality businesses to “run better, buy smarter and improve margins” and its client base has grown to count hundreds of venues.
MLF wields over $80 million in annual purchasing power and a network that spans Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and the ACT, and suggests the thing that “ties it all together” is the company’s on-hand account support.
“We work as an extension of your team, providing product reports – usage, volume, best price, operational insights, menu guidance, and tailored strategies – to optimise costs and performance,” says Maria Kucherhan, MLF CEO.
Beyond any immediate savings, MLF says it sets businesses up for long-term success by providing scalable solutions that improve team collaboration and consistency, while building resilience.
“Our Client Success team supports hundreds of venues across Australia with tailored guidance, while our procurement team, FoodieBuy, ensures businesses get the right products at the right price through trusted distributor and manufacturer partnerships,” adds Kucherhan.
