How long does it take to see a return on a kitchen labelling machine?
For most kitchens the labour saving alone covers the subscription, and it does so faster than operators expect. But the honest answer depends on your prep volume, your labour cost and how much food you currently throw away, so here's how to work it out for your own kitchen.
The three places a return comes from
Labour
The biggest and easiest to calculate. With Labl.it, printing a label is around three times quicker than handwriting one, and bulk printing handles ten labels in the time it takes to write two or three. Beyond the labels themselves, automated expiry alerts remove the daily walk through the chiller, and reporting removes a task most managers do in their own time. Not to mention the system is so simple that training is quicker and errors are minimised. According to our customers, total labelling admin drops by up to 75%.
Waste
This one covers a few areas. Food thrown away because nobody could identify it, or because a date was illegible, or because it went past its use-by unnoticed at the back of a shelf. Kitchens with clear labelling and automatic expiry flagging throw less away, and reduced waste means cost savings and improved efficiency.
Risk
The hardest to put a number on but the one that matters most in a bad month. A failed inspection, a rating drop that affects bookings, or an allergen incident all carry costs that dwarf a subscription. It doesn't belong in a payback calculation, but it should definitely factor into your decision.
Working out your own payback
1. Count your labels for one normal day - Most operators underestimate this, a typical single-site Labl.it customer prints around 1,200 a month.
2. Time one properly - not just the writing. Time how long it takes to find a pen, work out the correct use-by date, write it, stick it on. It’ll likely be longer than you think.
3. Work out your monthly labelling hours - labels per month multiplied by seconds per label. Then add your date checks, training time on proper labelling, and any record keeping you currently do by hand.
4. Figure out how much you’re saving - divide the printing time by three, and take the label checking and reporting time out entirely.
5. Multiply that saving by your hourly labour cost - if your team is salaried, think about what those hours would be spent on otherwise.
Set the result against £28 a month per device on the annual plan, or £34 monthly, both excluding VAT, plus labels at just over a penny each.
What that tends to look like
Work through it at a fairly ordinary hourly rate and most kitchens printing over 40 labels a day find the labour saving covers the subscription several times over, before waste is counted at all.
A site printing a handful of labels a day might not be doing enough to make the labour saving worth it, but when you factor in the compliance and consistency of the labels, the subscription is usually still worth it.
Other aspects to consider
Setup is speedy: Loading your products is quick with Labl.it, especially if you’re using our Menu Analyser tool or importing your menu in a CSV.
The saving builds: New starters cost less time to bring up to speed, but that shows up over months rather than in week one.
Waste reduction should build: As staff get used to the system and expiry alerts you should see a strong reduction in food waste. Moreover, the wastage reporting feature helps to highlight trends and underlying issues, reducing waste in the long term.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly does a Labl.it kitchen labelling machine pay for itself?
For most kitchens printing over 40 labels a day, the labour saving covers the subscription comfortably, before food waste is counted. Low-volume sites take longer or don't get there on labour alone.
How do I calculate the return for my own kitchen?
Count your labels for one day, time one properly, work out your monthly labelling hours, reduce printing time by roughly two-thirds and remove most of the checking time, then multiply by your hourly labour cost.
What does Labl.it cost?
£34 a month on a rolling plan or £28 on the annual plan, both excluding VAT and priced per device, with the device included. Labels are £1.95 per roll of 180, or cheaper with bulk discounts.
How much time does it actually save?
Printing is around three times quicker than handwriting, and total labelling admin drops by up to 75% once expiry checks, reporting and instant reprints are included.
Does it reduce food waste?
Clear labels and automatic expiry alerts mean less food thrown away unidentified or missed at the back of a shelf. Also, the wastage reporting feature helps kitchens to identify trends and fix underlying issues.
What if we don't prep much?
The compliance and consistency benefits still apply, but labour payback isn't the right argument at that volume.
Test the maths in your own kitchen
Any calculation is an estimate until you run it. Two weeks of real service tells you a lot more than any spreadsheet.
Labl.it comes with a 14-day free trial. Load your products, use it through a normal week, and see whether the numbers hold. If they don't, return it in the prepaid box at no cost.
