13 — Insights

The unglamorous half of the business.

Food cost, payroll ratio, retention and why openings slip. Written by the people in the network who fix these things for a living.

Cost Control7 min read

Across twenty-two audits the same four leaks appear, and none of them are on the menu. Together they are worth about four points of food cost.

Ivan PetrovF&B Revenue & Cost Analyst26 Aug 2026

Pre-Opening6 min read

Openings do not slip in the last month. They slip in month two, when two decisions get deferred because they are uncomfortable.

Thandi DlaminiExecutive Chef & Pre-Opening Specialist11 Aug 2026

Talent5 min read

The industry runs on CVs that nobody checks. For an international group hiring across borders, that is not a minor inefficiency.

Amara OkaforCulinary Director30 Jul 2026

Talent6 min read

Every coastal property chases the same two hundred people every April. The ones that stop chasing have usually fixed something else.

Zanele NkosiHospitality Trainer18 Jul 2026

Menu5 min read

Forty-six lines down to twenty-two. Every prediction about what would happen was wrong, including mine.

Matteo RossiChef de Cuisine29 Jun 2026

Sustainability6 min read

Most sustainability programmes are a cost centre with good intentions. The ones that last are the ones that were a margin decision first.

Elif YılmazHead Chef & Menu Consultant12 Jun 2026