Most hospitality operators have experienced it. · A site orders outside approved routes. · Products are substituted. · Pricing differs from location to location. The impact may seem minimal. But across a multi-site estate, maverick buying can quietly erode margins.

Better decisions start with better information. Yet many hospitality operators struggle to access a clear picture of purchasing activity. Data sits in multiple systems. Reports come from numerous suppliers. Information is fragmented.

Operational improvement doesn't always require major investment. Sometimes it begins by removing unnecessary complexity. Consider the number of deliveries arriving at each site every week. How many supplier contacts do managers maintain? How many invoices does the finance team process?

"We don't want all our eggs in one basket." It's perhaps the most common justification for maintaining multiple suppliers. On the surface it sounds sensible. But does having more suppliers genuinely reduce risk?

The labour challenge facing hospitality is well documented. Recruitment remains difficult. Wage costs continue to rise. Retention remains a priority. But there is another labour issue many organisations overlook entirely.

Hospitality in 2026 isn’t just about serving food, it’s about creating experiences. Guests increasingly value moments over transactions, and every detail contributes to how those moments feel. From the ambience to the table setting, the experience economy demands that operators think beyond the plate.