Tariffs have been on top of my mind, and the market, lately. Some argue they protect domestic industries and promote jobs, while others see them as a drag on efficiency and growth. But for those of us in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) space, the effects land a lot closer to home, like in the price of a tomato or a takeout container.
These aren't just abstract policy debates. They show up in invoices, inventory spreadsheets, and hard choices about menu pricing. The unpredictability ripples through the supply chain, ultimately impacting one of the most important metrics in the industry: cost of goods sold (COGS). And in an environment where every penny counts, even small shifts in price can throw off forecasts, margins, and the customer experience.
It's not easy running a QSR in this climate. Operators are juggling inflation, labor costs, and shifting customer habits, now layered with new trade-related uncertainty. It's a lot. And while no single move can insulate a restaurant from all of it, there are ways to build a more resilient operation.
One answer is inventory management precision.
When inventory is tracked in real time and aligned closely with actual on-site availability, not just what the system thinks is there, restaurants can make faster and smarter decisions. This could mean identifying when lettuce is consistently over-ordered and spoiling or catching an emerging pattern of understocking on popular drink items during weekend rushes.
Reducing waste, especially when the cost of that waste has dramatically risen, is more critical than ever. The ability to cut waste by just a few percentage points or avoid missed sales from out-of-stocks isn't just operational finesse; it's margin protection.
At the end of the day, no restaurant can control global trade policy. But we can control how well we see what's happening within our own four walls. That's where the battle for cost control is being fought now. The winners are those leaning into visibility, agility, and using artificial intelligence (including NomadGo's Inventory AI).
Running a QSR is never easy. But in uncertain times, even small gains in clarity can make a meaningful difference to the bottom line.
