AI reads each supplier invoice, matches every line to an ingredient in the recipe costing sheet and reprices the recipes. A Monday report shows the chef which dishes are above the 30% food-cost target and what price or portion changes would fix them.
Typical results
≈6 hrs/wk
Invoice keying and recipe costing time saved
Under 1 day
From a price change to updated recipe cards
30%
Food-cost target checked for every dish
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
The two restaurants buy from about 15 suppliers, and prices on meat, dairy and produce change week to week. The purchasing manager updates the recipe costing sheet by hand when there is time, so plate costs are often two months old. A dish can drift from 28% to 35% food cost before anyone sees it in the monthly accounts.
Before and after
Food cost as a share of sales
−5%Hours per week keying invoices and costing
−86%Days before a price rise reaches recipe costs
−98%The automation
Invoices arriving by email or as photos from the receiving clerk are read by AI. Each line's price per kilo or unit is matched to an ingredient in the recipe costing sheet, and unknown items wait for the purchasing manager to map once. Every recipe card is repriced with the latest costs, and each dish's food cost is checked against its menu price and the 30% target. A Monday report lists dishes over target, top price moves and suggested changes.
How it works
- 01
Invoice arrives
Invoices come in by email or as photos taken by the receiving clerk at either restaurant.
- 02
AI reads each line
Product, pack size and unit price are extracted and converted to a price per kilo, liter or unit.
- 03
Matched to ingredients
Each line is matched to the costing sheet, and new items wait for the purchasing manager to map them once.
- 04
Recipes recalculated
Every recipe card is repriced, and each dish's food cost is compared with its menu price and the 30% target.
- 05
Monday report
The chef gets the dishes over target, the biggest price moves and suggested price or portion changes.
Starts from
- Supplier invoice emails
- Invoice photos at receiving
- Recipe costing sheet
Delivers
- Repriced recipe cards
- Monday food-cost report
- Dishes over 30% flagged
The impact
Recipe cards always reflect the latest invoice, and dishes drifting above the 30% target are caught within a week. Food cost across both restaurants typically falls by about 1.5 points, from 32% to 30.5% of sales, and the purchasing manager saves around 6 hours a week of invoice keying.
Questions about this automation
How does the AI match invoice lines to ingredients?
It reads the supplier's product name, pack size and unit price, converts them to a price per kilo, liter or unit, and compares them with the ingredient list in the costing sheet. Once the purchasing manager confirms a match, it is saved, so the same supplier product is matched automatically next time.
Does it change menu prices on its own?
No. The Monday report suggests options, such as a smaller portion, a substitute ingredient or a new menu price, and shows the food-cost percentage each option would give. The chef and the owner decide, and any change to the menu or recipe is made by them in the usual way.
What about credit notes or unusual prices?
Credit notes and returns are recognized as separate documents and do not update ingredient prices. Lines with a price far outside the usual range, such as five times last week's price, are held for review instead of updating the recipes. This is a multi-step build, usually rolled out in stages.