According to the National Restaurant Association, food and labor together account for roughly 60 to 65 percent of total operating costs for full-service restaurants in the United States. That number has not changed much over the past decade, but the tools operators use to manage it have changed dramatically. And yet, as of 2025, a significant share of independent and small-chain operators are still running inventory on spreadsheets, aging desktop software, or a hybrid of both. If that describes your operation, this comparison is for you.
