How suites pre-ordering tackles food waste and boosts profitability

Running premium suites at a sports venue can be a balancing act—providing unforgettable experiences while managing costs. Without suites pre-ordering, venues risk overspending on food, straining staff, and missing key profit opportunities.

Suites pre-ordering is a game-changing solution that helps venues plan smarter, reduce waste, and boost profitability while keeping fans happy.

Hear it from the food and beverage supervisor at the Ottawa Titans Baseball Club in this 30 second clip:

Missing the mark: why suites need pre-ordering

Without pre-ordering, venues face significant inefficiencies that cut into profitability. Here’s what happens when suites are managed without the right tools:

Food waste

Without insight into guest preferences, chefs often over-prepare to make sure every suite is stocked. On average, venues without pre-ordering systems over-prepare by up to 20%, leading to thousands of dollars in wasted food per event.

Operational strain

Staff are left juggling last-minute orders and preparing items that may not even be served. The result? Unplanned trips for the staff to go from the suites to the kitchen, added stress, and potential errors during the game.

Missed revenue opportunities

Guesswork prevents venues from tailoring menus or offering timely upsells. This not only limits revenue but also fails to provide guests with a truly personalized experience.

Suite success: how pre-ordering boosts your bottom line.

Suites pre-ordering doesn’t just reduce waste—it transforms your bottom line. By giving venues the tools to better manage inventory, labour, and costs, pre-ordering delivers measurable financial benefits:

• 7:1 benefit-cost ratio: According to Champions 12.3, food waste reduction strategies like pre-ordering deliver an average return of seven dollars for every dollar invested over a three-year period.
• 76% ROI within one year: Most restaurant and catering sites recoup their investment in food waste reduction programs within the first year.
• 2% savings on cost of goods sold (COGS): The average site saved more than two cents on every dollar of cost of goods sold by reducing food waste.

Better prep, better profits: mastering inventory with pre-ordering

One of the most significant advantages of suites pre-ordering is its impact on inventory management. By knowing what guests want ahead of time, venues can:

• Anticipate food demand: Accurate forecasting reduces overproduction costs.
• Optimize ingredient purchasing: Only buy what you need, cutting down on excess inventory expenses.
• Minimize food spoilage: Avoid overordering, reducing waste disposal costs and keeping inventory fresh.

Sustainability starts here: reducing waste with suites pre-ordering

Effective pre-ordering systems also contribute to significant waste reduction:

• 56% reduction in food waste costs: Catering sites implementing pre-ordering and similar strategies saw a dramatic reduction in food waste expenses over three years.
• 5 percentage point drop in food waste: On average, food waste as a share of COGS decreased by over five percentage points, demonstrating the power of precise planning.

Hitting it out of the park: suites pre-ordering with the Ottawa Titans

The Ottawa Titans saw significant value in adopting suites pre-ordering with App8, particularly when it came to reducing waste and streamlining their operations. Michael D’Agostino, the Titans’ Food and Beverage Supervisor, explains:

“It starts with the sales team making that sale and then building out the flow from beyond that. And it’s vital for us—I mean, managing that preorder up there is huge because keeping inventory of products and preparing foods that you don’t know if anyone’s going to eat, it’s money out the door. So the preorder piece is a big, big factor for us when it comes to those foods.”

By implementing suites pre-ordering, the Titans optimized their food preparation process and minimized unnecessary expenses. For more details on their journey with App8, check out the full case study here.