Case Study: How One Café Saved 8 Hours a Week Just by Switching Their Meat Supplier

When you're running a busy café, every minute counts.

For one Brisbane café, shaving off even a few minutes from each prep shift added up to something surprising: a full eight hours saved every week—all thanks to one simple change.

Like many cafés committed to quality, the team at this popular cafe prided themselves on serving premium dishes made from scratch. But behind the scenes, their team was stretched thin. Morning prep ran over. Staff stayed late to portion and trim meat. The head chef was spending more time on the phone chasing orders than creating specials.

The biggest time sink? Their beef.

“We were getting decent quality,” said the café’s manager, “but it came in inconsistent cuts, needed a lot of trimming, and half the time we were shorted or delayed. It was throwing off our whole rhythm.”

After a recommendation from a fellow chef, the cafe reached out to à La Carte Meats—and that’s when things changed.

Instead of generic wholesale product, they got consistent, pre-portioned beef and chicken cuts, trimmed to spec, packed and delivered like clockwork.

“No more trimming, no more guesswork. We opened the pack and we were ready to cook.”

Prep time dropped by 60–90 minutes per day, staff morale improved due to less stress during the rush and no overtime, waste was virtually eliminated, and the customer wait times dropped.

“It’s not just about meat,” the owner added. “It’s about what that meat allows us to do—focus on flavour, creativity, and speed.”

Changing to a smarter food supplier didn’t just improve one menu item—it streamlined the entire back-of-house operation.

At à La Carte Meats, we understand that food service isn’t just about quality ingredients—it’s about how those ingredients work in your kitchen. We partner with hospitality venues to tailor solutions that save time, reduce waste, and help teams focus on what they do best: serving great food!