Panini Kabob Grill Scales Its Scratch-Kitchen Operation with Consistency During Expansion with Crunchtime

Panini Kabob Grill operates 30+ restaurants throughout Southern California centered on a strict scratch-kitchen philosophy. With every meal prepared fresh daily and no commissary support, the model demands exceptional precision in inventory and labor management. To maintain consistency during expansion, leadership implemented Crunchtime Inventory, Labor, and Insights. By replacing manual spreadsheets with real-time operational intelligence, the brand has reduced costs and built a disciplined foundation for continued growth.

16M+ USD

food cost savings over three years

7%

reduction in labor costs

5.5%

reduction in cost of goods sold

CHALLENGE

Expanding a Scratch-Kitchen Operation Without Compromising Quality

Panini Kabob Grill's operating model leaves little room for operational inefficiencies. Without any frozen inventory or extended shelf-life products, inventory accuracy, labor planning, and daily execution are essential to delivering a high-quality guest experience and maintaining profitability. As Stephen Gordon, Purchasing Manager, explained, "At Panini Kabob Grill, we operate a true scratch kitchen with zero preservatives and zero margin for error."

This commitment to freshness requires precise inventory management, while the demands of a scratch-kitchen operation make labor planning equally critical. With each restaurant balancing changing customer volume and the ever-evolving demands of fresh, in-house preparation, leadership needed standardized systems to provide greater visibility and control across the operation.

“With Crunchtime Insights, we can be proactive instead of reactive. Panini Kabob Grill used to be spreadsheet-based, and we had to try to fill in the gaps manually. Crunchtime has closed those gaps for us, allowing us to move into the future and grow.”

Stephen Gordon
Purchasing Manager
Panini Kabob Grill

SOLUTION

Standardizing Inventory, Labor, and Operational Visibility

Panini Kabob Grill implemented Crunchtime Inventory, Labor, and Insights to create a consistent operating framework across every restaurant.

The brand implemented daily inventory counts through Crunchtime Inventory, standardizing PAR levels, ordering, and prep processes system-wide. Stephen explained, "With Crunchtime Inventory, Panini Kabob Grill has improved ordering accuracy and prep execution. Every location now operates with the same PAR formula, regardless of store size or volume." Codifying these procedures helps the brand protect against ordering errors, ensuring each kitchen has the inventory needed to meet demand.

Crunchtime Insights replaced spreadsheet-driven reporting with a centralized view of labor percentage, sales per labor hour (SPLH), food cost, and operational variance. "With Crunchtime Insights, we can be proactive instead of reactive. Panini Kabob Grill used to be spreadsheet-based, and we had to try to fill in the gaps manually. Crunchtime has closed those gaps for us, allowing us to move into the future and grow," Stephen said. This transition from manual tracking to real-time insights gives leadership a centralized view of operational performance.

Panini Kabob Grill also standardized labor planning with Crunchtime Labor, using staffing templates built around sales forecasts, historical demand, and operational requirements. This provides managers with a reliable framework for building schedules across locations while accounting for the unique demands of a scratch-kitchen operation.

Key components of the implementation included:

Implementing daily inventory counts across every restaurant
Standardizing PAR levels and ordering processes across locations
Replacing manual spreadsheet reporting with real-time operational insights
Aligning labor schedules with forecasted sales and historical demand
Providing visibility into labor performance, food costs, sales per labor hour, and operational variance

Ops Excellence Awards Spotlight Series: Panini Kabob Grill

Crunchtime’s Ops Excellence Awards recognize those who have raised the bar in the industry. Each year, that bar of excellence keeps getting higher and higher, largely in part due to the amazing caliber of submissions we received from our incredible customer base. Panini Kabob Grill was one of the five standout brands that earned their spot as finalists.

learn more

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RESULTS

Building a Scalable Operating Model Through Operational Discipline

Crunchtime has given Panini Kabob Grill the visibility and structure needed to grow its scratch-kitchen model while maintaining the operational standards that define the brand.

Replacing manual spreadsheets with real-time reporting has created a more disciplined operating environment, allowing teams to make faster decisions, reduce waste, and improve performance across every restaurant. As Stephen noted, "By moving from manual spreadsheets to real-time daily inventory with Crunchtime, we've proven that you can scale rapidly to 50 locations without ever sacrificing the freshness or quality our guests deserve." Measurable improvements in inventory performance back the ability to expand the brand while maintaining quality.

Panini Kabob Grill reduced COGS by 5.5%, resulting in more than $16 million in food cost savings over three years after implementing daily inventory counts and strengthening operational controls with Crunchtime. The company also reduced the gap between actual and theoretical inventory to less than 1% annually while lowering logged waste to just 0.2%, demonstrating the impact of standardized inventory controls. These inventory gains were part of a broader effort to bring the same discipline and visibility to labor management.

Labor performance improved alongside inventory operations. Over the past three years, Panini Kabob Grill reduced labor costs by 7% while increasing revenue by more than $65 million. At the company's current size, that improvement represents approximately $9-10 million in annual labor savings compared to its previous operating model.

Reflecting on the broader impact, Stephen said, "Crunchtime has been the backbone of our labor revolution, helping us slash labor costs by 7 points and save over $16 million in food costs through sheer operational discipline." Ultimately, the operational discipline established with Crunchtime has translated into meaningful savings while giving the company a stronger foundation for continued growth.

Today, Panini Kabob Grill has an operational foundation that supports continued expansion without compromising the freshness, consistency, and guest experience that distinguish its scratch-kitchen concept.

“With Crunchtime Inventory, Panini Kabob Grill has improved ordering accuracy and prep execution. Every location now operates with the same PAR formula, regardless of store size or volume.”

Stephen Gordon
Purchasing Manager
Panini Kabob Grill

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