Building the business case for prep labelling across a restaurant group
A business case for prep labelling across a restaurant group, at its core, needs to prove that a new solution will improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase compliance. This guide is for ops, compliance, finance and procurement teams putting that case together. It covers how to measure a baseline, what belongs on the cost side, the risks to plan for and how to turn a trial into tangible evidence.
What does prep labelling cost a restaurant group today?
Pick two or three representative sites, including at least one busy one, and measure the current process for two weeks:
Labelling time: time a full prep session from first label to last. It’s also important to note who is doing the manual labelling, because a head chef’s time costs more than a commis’s.
Consumables: tape, pens, day dots or any printer supplies like ink cartridges.
Labelling-related waste: food thrown away because a label was missing, unreadable or out of date.
Compliance follow-up: time spent fixing labelling issues after audits or inspections, and answering allergen queries.
What changes when a group moves to a labelling system?
A labelling system replaces handwriting, day dots and date guns with labels printed from one product list. Labl.it’s own figures are that it’s three times faster than handwriting and cuts labelling admin time by 75%. Our article on how much time a food label printer actually saves explains where the time saving actually comes from.
Customers describe the same change. At Hilton Southampton Utilita Bowl, Executive Chef Jamie Holmes says Labl.it “saved me loads of man hours per week” (Hilton case study). At Turtle Bay Southampton, close-downs that used to eat into the end of service are now done in minutes (Turtle Bay case study).
Some benefits are harder to price but should still be considered:
Consistency: every site prints from the same central product list, so the same dish carries the same label everywhere. At Roxy Leisure, head office manages the product library for every venue, and all staff need to do is search, select and print (Roxy Leisure case study).
Allergen control: allergen information is set up once against each product and prints on every label.
Visibility: reporting on label production and wastage by site shows head office what’s happening without the need for a visit.
Accurate dates: use-by dates are calculated from the product and storage method, so they don’t depend on memory.
What should the cost side of the business case include?
Compare suppliers line by line over the contract term, or over 12 months if there isn’t one.
Cost line | What to check with any supplier | Labl.it |
|---|---|---|
Hardware | Bought outright, or included in a subscription? | Subscription only; the purpose-built handheld device is included |
Price | Per device, per site or per group? | From £28 a month per device on an annual plan, or £34 paid monthly; group pricing quoted on request |
Labels and consumables | Ink, ribbons and label rolls usually at a minimum | Thermal printing, so no ink; labels bought separately |
Warranty and replacement | What’s covered, what’s chargeable, how fast a replacement arrives | Infinite warranty* and 24-hour hot-swap replacement |
Software updates | Included or charged? | Monthly updates included |
Contract | Typically have minimum term and exit terms | No mandatory long-term contract, can always cancel at the end of your billing period |
Setup | Building the product list and training each site | Products set up once in the back office and printed at every site, no training needed |
Our article on what a commercial kitchen labelling system costs to run sets out the running costs in more detail.
What are the risks, and how can a group reduce them?
Adoption
Sites can slip back to handwriting if implementation isn’t done correctly. Use site-level reporting to spot it early, and offer training if kitchens are struggling to pick up a new system.
Data quality
A printed label is only as accurate as its data, so it is important to ensure information is up to date in the central product list when rolling out a new system.
Hardware failure
Check replacement times and the cost of a new device (if there is a cost).
Fit
List the features you need before you choose so that you can be sure that the system you are implementing ticks all of your boxes.
How do you turn a trial into evidence procurement will accept?
Set targets before the trial starts, using your baseline:
labelling time per prep session
admin time spent on labels
labelling-related waste
how quickly a central product change reaches each site
feedback from the chefs using it
Run the trial at a busy site, where both the time savings and any problems will show up quickest.
Where does Labl.it fit in a group rollout?
Labl.it is a handheld food labelling device used in over 4,000 UK kitchens. Groups including Turtle Bay, Roxy Leisure, Pasture Restaurant Group and The Alexander Group run it across their sites. Products are managed centrally, and a cross-site Reports dashboard shows label production and wastage for each site. Labl.it is rated 4.8 on Trustpilot from 76 reviews and 5.0 on Google, with many customers citing its suitability for larger multi-site groups.
Frequently asked questions
How long should the baseline run?
Long enough to cover busy and quiet days. Two weeks is a practical number, and it’s the amount of time we give you at Labl.it.
Should waste savings go in the business case?
Only if you’ve measured them. A trial with wastage reporting gives you real figures to use, but savings is difficult to work out without a baseline of how much was being wasted pre-trial.
Which food safety labelling solution works across multiple kitchen locations?
Look for four things: a central product list, permissions that stop sites editing products, reporting by site, and the ability to scale up devices. Labl.it does all four and runs across groups with 100+ sites.
How many Labl.it devices does each site need?
There’s no fixed rule, because every kitchen is set up differently. Our team will scope it with you in a call or demo, or start off with one and see how it goes.
Put the business case to the test
The strongest business case is one built on your own trial results.
Labl.it comes with a 14-day free trial. Run it at your busiest site against the targets you set from your baseline. If it doesn’t suit your group, return it in the prepaid box at no cost.
Start your free trial or book a demo
*Warranty excludes accidental damage repairs and loss. Infinite warranty requires active Labl.it subscription.
Article written by:
Ewan Horn, Enterprise Account Executive at Labl.it
