Notes from the trade

What we learn supplying
Chennai's kitchens.

Sourcing, pricing, margins, wastage, credit, and the unglamorous arithmetic behind a profitable food business. Written for the people who actually place the orders.

Chennai Restaurant operations Wholesale sourcing Food cost Margins Oil Rice

A platform weighing scale carrying an open sack of grain, with a small hand scoop beside it

Featured Food cost Restaurant operations

What food cost percentage should you run?

The industry says 28–35%. Here is how to calculate it properly, what Indian kitchens actually run in 2026, and the sourcing lever most operators never pull.

5 August 2026 11 min read

All articles

3 pieces

Four heaps of rice of different grain shapes lined up on a cream ground

10 min read

Rice Wholesale sourcing

Idly rice vs boiled rice vs raw rice

Parboiled, raw, idly rice, noi, seeraga samba, basmati grades — what each one is actually for, and what a Chennai kitchen should keep in the godown.

5 August 2026

A 15 litre oil tin beside a one litre pouch, both filled to the same level on a measuring scale

10 min read

Oil Wholesale sourcing

Is the 15 litre oil tin actually cheaper?

On our own Chennai rates today, the 1-litre sunflower pouch beats both 15-litre tins per litre. Here is how to compare oil properly, and the 840g trap.