FoodByUs / The only wholesale food ordering system your restaurant needs Tue, 18 Nov 2025 04:02:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cropped-FBU-Icon-Full-01-5-32x32.png FoodByUs / 32 32 How mecwacare Transformed Aged-Care Procurement With FoodByUs /mecwacare-case-study/ Tue, 18 Nov 2025 02:28:13 +0000 /?p=10402 A 22-site provider centralises purchasing, empowers chefs and elevates the resident dining experience.

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mecwacare

Industry:
Aged Care / Healthcare Hospitality
Sites:
22 RAC facilities & 6 retirement villages
Dinesh Kumar Subramani
Head of Hotel Services

For more than two decades, Head of Hotel Services at , has been reshaping how food brings dignity, comfort and connection to older Australians. Today he oversees kitchen, cleaning and laundry teams across 22 residential facilities and six retirement villages — all united by a simple mission: create meals that feel like home.

But with rapid organisational growth came a new challenge: how to manage suppliers, pricing and compliance at scale without losing visibility or consistency.

This is where FoodByUs stepped in.

Centralised procurement across all sites

Real-time price comparison and spend visibility

Improved chef productivity & cost savings

The Challenge: Too Many Suppliers, Too Little Visibility

quotation-marks

“We had chefs using seven different platforms to order from seven suppliers. We didn’t always have a view on who was offering the best value.”

For years, each mecwacare facility managed its own ordering — often across six or seven different platforms.

This created:

•  Duplication
•  Pricing inconsistency
•  Limited oversight
•  Manual reporting burdens
•  Reduced time for foodservice innovation

As the organisation expanded, Dinesh knew sustainability depended on digitising procurement and giving chefs a single, efficient way to order.

The Solution: One Login, Total Control

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“Sometimes one supplier sells lemons for 60 cents and another for a dollar — now we can see that straight away.”

FoodByUs worked with mecwacare to bring all existing suppliers into a single purchasing platform — alongside new optional vendors for price comparison.

The result was a single source of truth for ordering, spend and approvals.

With FoodByUs, mecwacare now enjoys:

  • Centralised purchasing across 22 sites
  • Instant price comparisons
  • Full spend visibility
  • User permissions for chefs & managers
  • Seamless integration with SafeFood Pro & SoupedUp

This shift gave chefs simple workflows and leaders real-time oversight.

Unlocking Time for What Matters Most: Residents

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“Foodservice is about dignity and delight — not just nutrition.”

With procurement streamlined, mecwacare’s team could shift focus back to quality, choice and presentation.

One of the biggest improvements? The ability to reinvest savings into resident-facing initiatives.

⭐ Fine-Dining Nights
Every mecwacare facility now hosts monthly fine-dining evenings. One resident shared that her last experience like this was 54 years ago.

⭐ Visual Menus
Food photography captured via SafeFood Pro is used to create visual menus, helping residents with limited English confidently choose their meals.

⭐ Cultural Menu Tailoring
Price transparency allowed chefs to invest in ingredients and menu diversity across facilities with different cultural profiles.

A Connected Digital Ecosystem

quotation-marks

“Ordering, compliance and menu planning will soon work in sync. Chefs should focus on cooking and connection — not paperwork.”

FoodByUs integrates seamlessly with mecwacare’s broader technology stack:

  • → compliance, reporting, food safety, daily meal photos

  • → menu management and forecasting

  • FoodByUs → procurement, pricing, supplier management

Together, these systems create a modern, data-driven kitchen operation.

Take-Aways for Aged-Care Leaders

1. Centralised purchasing = time back for your chefs
One login removes clutter, manual work and duplicated effort.

2. Cost savings enable better resident experiences
Aged care is shifting toward quality and dignity — procurement should support that.

3. Technology should empower people, not replace them
Digital tools reduce admin so chefs can focus on service, culture and care.

The Bottom Line

With FoodByUs, mecwacare turned a fragmented ordering environment into a connected, efficient procurement system — unlocking visibility, cost control and improved resident dining.

The transformation proves that good procurement doesn’t just save money — it elevates care.

About FoodByUs

FoodByUs is Australia’s leading wholesale food-service procurement platform for chefs, venues and aged-care operators. By centralising suppliers, enabling real-time price comparison and giving complete spend visibility, FoodByUs empowers hospitality teams to run smarter, more efficient kitchens.

👉 Learn more at

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Opening a Restaurant in 2025? Here’s How to Beat Rising Costs /opening-a-restaurant-in-2025-heres-how-to-beat-rising-costs/ Thu, 26 Jun 2025 01:20:54 +0000 /?p=10329 With rising food costs, staff shortages and shrinking profit margins, running a venue successfully now demands more than great food and customer service. With the right tech stack, you can stay ahead of the curve.

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If you’re a chef, café owner or hospitality entrepreneur planning to open a restaurant in 2025, you’re entering one of the most dynamic — and demanding — eras in hospitality. With rising food costs, staff shortages and shrinking profit margins, running a venue successfully now demands more than great food and customer service.

The good news? With the right tech stack, you can stay ahead of the curve. In this article, we’ll break down the biggest challenges facing new restaurants in 2025 — and explain why combining with the FoodByUs Ordering and Menu Costing Platform is the smartest way to reduce your cost of goods, increase profit margins and streamline operations from day one.

The 2025 Hospitality Landscape: What You’re Up Against

From fresh produce to pantry staples, prices are continuing to climb across the board. Inflation, freight issues and global supply chain disruptions have pushed up costs for hospitality operators — making it harder than ever to protect margins.

The hospitality labour market hasn’t bounced back to pre-COVID levels. Skilled staff are scarce, wages are rising, and teams are often stretched thin — leaving owners to wear multiple hats just to stay afloat.

Whether you’re opening a restaurant in Sydney or a café in Melbourne, diners expect great value — and competitors are everywhere. There’s little room for inefficiency, waste or manual processes. Automation and data are no longer optional.

How to Open a Restaurant in 2025 and Protect Your Profits

The two most critical systems every venue needs from day one? A hospitality-grade point-of-sale system and a smart wholesale ordering platform. Here’s how Square and FoodByUs make the perfect pairing.

1. Lower your COGS & Order Smarter with FoodByUs

FoodByUs is Australia’s leading wholesale ordering platform for the hospitality industry, used by thousands of venues to streamline their supply chain and reduce costs.

From fruit & veg to dairy, meat and dry goods, FoodByUs lets you view and compare pricing in real time — ensuring you’re always getting a competitive deal.

Use built-in Price Tracking tools to monitor fluctuations over time and spot when key ingredients are becoming more expensive — helping you adjust menus and supplier choices accordingly.

Say goodbye to messy spreadsheets, text messages and phone calls. FoodByUs enables consistent, trackable ordering from one central platform — saving time and avoiding errors.

Built for Australian restaurants by hospitality experts, FoodByUs offers real local support and understands the unique challenges faced by venue owners down under.

2. Optimise Menu Profitability with FoodByUs Menu Costing

One of the most powerful features of the FoodByUs platform is its Menu Costing tool — which integrates directly with to help you understand the true cost of every dish on your menu.

The integration with Square pulls in real-time sales data, matching it with your ingredient spend so you can see exactly how profitable each menu item is — down to the cent.

The system shows which dishes are underperforming or using ingredients that have spiked in price, so you can adjust portion sizes or replace components to improve your bottom line.

With insights from both Square and FoodByUs, you can design a smarter menu that reduces food waste, simplifies prep and drives more revenue per dish.

Thanks to ongoing price tracking, the system will alert you when an item’s COGS increases — allowing you to take action before it eats into your profits.

In 2025, relying on manual spreadsheets or guesswork just won’t cut it. The FoodByUs Menu Costing Tool gives you a real-time, data-driven way to protect your profit margins.

3. Run Front-of-House Seamlessly with Square POS

is a modern, easy-to-use POS system built specifically for the hospitality industry.

Train staff in minutes, process orders lightning-fast and switch between dine-in, takeaway and delivery with ease. It’s built to match the speed of your service.

Get real-time visibility into what’s selling, what’s profitable and how your venue is performing — with data you can act on instantly.

Accept card, mobile and QR payments seamlessly, and integrate online ordering and delivery without needing extra software or hardware.

Square offers flexible, transparent pricing with no long-term contracts — perfect for start-ups, pop-ups and small businesses wanting to stay agile.

Why You Should Use Square & FoodByUs Together

Pairing with FoodByUs gives you complete visibility and control over both the front and back of house:

FunctionalitySquare POSFoodByUs
Real-time sales and insights✅✅ (via integration)
Menu costing based on live data✅ ✅
Wholesale ordering & supplier management❌✅
Price tracking on food supplies❌✅
Staff training and payments✅❌
Customer-facing service tools✅❌
Australian-based support✅✅

Together, they empower you to:

  • Lower your cost of goods
  • Create more profitable menus
  • Eliminate manual admin and waste
  • Make confident, data-backed business decisions

Tech is Your Best Ingredient in 2025

Opening a restaurant in 2025 is no small feat — but with the right systems in place, it’s absolutely achievable. Combining with FoodByUs’ end-to-end supply and menu costing tools gives you the visibility, control and scalability needed to build a profitable, sustainable venue.

So whether you’re planning your first café or expanding to your third site, make sure your tech stack is working as hard as you are.

Join FoodByUs and Square for $6,000 off your food orders

Square offers flexible, transparent pricing with no long-term contracts — perfect for start-ups, pop-ups and small businesses wanting to stay agile. For a limited time, you can get $6,000 off your food ordering on FoodByUs by joining Square.

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Suburban Dining & Rooftop – 67% Increase in Operational Efficiency with FoodByUs /suburban-dining-rooftop-restaurant-case-study/ Mon, 19 May 2025 00:43:06 +0000 /?p=10242 Executive Chef Bernie (Bernard) Jones, working alongside his Head Chef Connor, have transformed Suburban's operations through the innovative FoodByUs ordering and management platform.

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The Suburban Dining & Rooftop

Bernard Jones 
Owner & Executive Chef
Andrew Croucher
Owner
Connor Jeanes
Head Chef

, a restaurant located in Ringwood Town Square in Victoria, represents a modern hospitality success story of adaptation and strategic technology adoption. Founded in 2015 and currently owned by Executive Chef Bernard Jones, working alongside his Head Chef Connor Jeanes, the venue has transformed its operations through the innovative ordering and management platform.

67% reduction in ordering time

Ordering time reduced from 1 hour daily to 20 minutes weekly

29% decrease in key food line costs

Chicken breast pricing reduced by 29%, improving profit margins

5 hrs saved on admin every week

Invoice & inventory management all through FoodByUs

Operational Efficiency

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“FoodByUs has turned our ordering process from a daily nightmare into a 20-minute weekly task. It’s given us back our most precious resource – time.”

FoodByUs dramatically revolutionised Suburban’s operational workflow by consolidating what was previously a fragmented ordering process. Before implementing the FoodByUs platform, the restaurant team struggled with multiple communication channels – phone calls, voicemails, texts, and emails from various suppliers. The FoodByUs system now allows Suburban to centralise ordering, track deliveries, and manage inventory with unprecedented simplicity. What once consumed hours of administrative time has been reduced to a mere 20 minute weekly task, freeing up the team to focus on culinary creativity and customer experience.

Cost Management

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“With FoodByUs, we’re not just passive recipients of pricing. We can now actively negotiate, compare, and switch suppliers at the click of a button.”

The FoodByUs platform provides Suburban with unprecedented transparency and negotiation power in supplier pricing. By offering real-time price comparisons across multiple suppliers, the platform has broken traditional relationships based on familiarity and replaced them with data-driven purchasing decisions. Bernard and Connor highlighted a remarkable example of reducing chicken breast prices from $14 to $10 per kilo – a saving that translates to significant annual cost reductions. FoodByUs empowers small hospitality businesses like Suburban to leverage competitive pricing and make strategic financial decisions.

Real-Time Insights

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“FoodByUs isn’t just a platform – it’s our operational backbone, giving us complete visibility into our supply chain and financial management.”

FoodByUs has completely transformed Suburban’s technological approach to restaurant management. The platform provides a comprehensive system that simplifies complex processes like invoicing, stock tracking, and supplier communication. By integrating automatically with accounting systems and providing detailed reporting, FoodByUs reduces human error and offers real-time financial insights. The restaurant can now easily track price histories, manage inventory, and make data-driven decisions, converting what was once a manual and error-prone process into a streamlined, efficient operation.

‘s adoption of demonstrates how strategic technology can transform hospitality operations, offering efficiency, transparency, and financial control. By embracing this innovative platform, Bernard and his team have not just improved their operational processes, but have also positioned themselves as a forward-thinking, technologically adept restaurant in a competitive market.

FoodByUs Interviewed Bernard Jones, Owner and Executive Chef of Suburban Dining & Rooftop & Head Chef Connor Jeanes.

Make your first move. Save time, money & streamline your business.

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Alasya Bakery – How FoodByUs Nurtures Family-Owned Bakery’s Business Growth /alasya-bakery-case-study/ Wed, 31 Jan 2024 02:17:39 +0000 http://localhost:10004/?p=4686 FoodByUs supports Alasya Bakery owner, Ayse Bekir, in streamlining her business processes and growing her business.

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The Journey of Alasya Bakery

Alasya Bakery produces the finest range of artisan Turkish breads, and bakery products.

Their breads and pastries are individually hand-crafted pieces, baked in stone floor, wood-fired ovens. But whilst their facilities are modern, their processes are thoroughly old-school.

Offered Categories
Delivery Information
Minimum OrderCut-off TimeDelivery FeeDelivery Days
$30.002 PM Next Day$3.00 (Free after $200)Monday to Saturday

Streamlining Operations with FoodByUs

Brand Exposure

The Power of Visibility

‘FoodByUs gives a great overview of what’s happening and helps me stay on top of my business.’

Guaranteed Payments

‘With FoodByUs, I’ve never had to chase a customer up for payments. I get paid every week, guaranteed.’

FoodByUs interviewed Ayse Bekir, Owner of Alasya Bakery.

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The Evolution of Canva’s Food Procurement: Increasing Ordering Efficiency and Tracking Costs with FoodByUs /canva-case-study/ Wed, 31 Jan 2024 02:44:24 +0000 http://localhost:10004/?p=4806 Explore how Dan, Canva's Hospitality Experience Lead and his small front-of-house team use FoodByUs to create seamless and efficient ordering operations for Canva's hospitality needs.

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Time Savings

Team Efficiency

COGS Tracking

FoodByUs interviewed Dan Bloom, Beverage & Front of House Lead at Canva.

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McCain – How FoodByUs Steers Frozen Food Manufacturer’s Foodservice Strategy /mccain-case-study/ Tue, 30 Jan 2024 00:43:52 +0000 http://localhost:10004/?p=4781 In this case study, we look into how FoodByUs Insights has become a transformative tool for Alex, Assistant Category Manager for Foodservice at McCain.

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1. Navigating the Casual Dining Landscape

2. Customised Insights for Strategic Clarity

3. Price Intelligence: A Validating Force

‘We can see a spread of anonymised prices which gives us a better idea of trends and how we should price our product ranges.’

FoodByUs interviewed Alexander Howard, Assistant Category Manager at McCain Foods. HIs role involves uding research and industry knowledge to help inform strategies to improve marketing or sales plans, grow the category and serve McCain’s consumers better.

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Multi-Venue Group, Red Rock Venues, Consolidates Ordering With FoodByUs /red-rock-venues-case-study/ Wed, 29 Nov 2023 23:41:49 +0000 http://localhost:10004/?p=4621 When running a renowned multi-venue group with locations across Australia, efficiency is the name of the game. Red Rock Venues, a national pub and venue group with 27 sites in VIC, NSW, QLD, and WA, has found its secret ingredient for success – FoodByUs.

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Regulating the Ordering Process

Simplifying Supplier Relationships

Cost Savings and Cash Flow Confidence

FoodByUs interviewed Graeme McLaughlin, Group Executive Chef at Red Rock Venues, a national pub and venue group with 27 sites across VIC, NSW, QLD, and WA.

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Time on Your Side – IIKO Mazesoba Cuts Their Ordering Time By Over 50% /iiko-mazesoba-case-study/ Tue, 21 Nov 2023 02:56:08 +0000 http://localhost:10004/?p=4531 In the bustling world of restaurants, time is of the essence. Every minute saved is an opportunity gained. In this blog post, we explore how FoodByUs has revolutionised IIKO Mazesoba's procurement processes and saved them in labour and accounting costs.

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A Niche Concept Born from Travel

“I was inspired by Tokyo’s iconic noodle shops, and wanted to give Sydneysiders another way to enjoy ramen.”

Time Savings

Cost Reduction

Efficient Accounting and Payments

FoodByUs interviewed Michelle Widjaja, owner of IIKO Mazesoba in Darling Square & Barangaroo, Sydney.

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Greenlands Fruit – A Tale of Freshness, Quality & Partnership /greenlands-case-study/ Wed, 08 Nov 2023 04:29:54 +0000 http://localhost:10004/?p=4418 In the fast-paced world of wholesale food supply, finding the right tools and partners to streamline your business can be a game-changer. For Greenlands Fruit, a family-owned business with 32 years of experience in the industry, FoodByUs has become an indispensable ally.

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Greenlands Grocer Fruit and Vegetables Wholesale Tomatoes

About Greenlands

Greenlands | Freshest Fruit and Vegetables for Businesses Logo

With combined family experience and long-standing customer relationships in the hospitality industry, Greenlands is a market-leading supplier of fruit and vegetables in Victoria.

Offered Categories
Delivery Information
Minimum OrderCut-off TimeDelivery Days
$0.0011 PMMonday to Saturday

Seamless Operations with FoodByUs

Greenlands | Freshest Fruit and Vegetables Microherbs

Partners: Working Together for Success

‘It’s a partnership, and it’s all about working with people you can trust.’

Greenlands Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Avocados

Enhancing Risk Management

‘Finalising Payments is a game-changer. Capturing random weights is a massive part of what suppliers do.’

Greenlands Fresh Fruit VIC Raspberries
Greenlands Fruit owner Vince Pezzano

FoodByUs interviewed Vince Pezzano, Co-Owner of Greenlands Fruit in Victoria.

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