In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki Soyturk welcomes Matt Molaski and Rich Dunham from MarginEdge—the industry’s “Swiss Army knife” for inventory, invoice processing, and restaurant cost control. They break down the biggest myths about inventory, why most operators get stuck in spreadsheet chaos, and how MarginEdge helps transform back-office pain into profit.
You’ll hear about the most common mistakes restaurants make (and how to spot them), how tech can save you from recipe disasters, and why a “partial count” can sometimes matter more than a perfect full inventory. Matt and Rich share their own industry stories, client wins, and a few confessions from years on the operations and finance front lines.
Links:
MarginEdge Website
Rich Dunham on LinkedIn
Matt Molaski on LinkedIn
Email Matt: mmolaski@marginedge.com
What You’ll Learn
The “hidden killers” in recipe costing and why they persist
How MarginEdge’s unique invoice and SKU management solves the mess most tools create
Why real-time (not static) food cost and recipe costing matter—especially now
How partial counts and “Hawthorne Effect” boost accuracy and accountability
Beverage inventory secrets: How to finally track and protect your bar profits
Implementation: What to expect, what it costs, and who gets the most value
Real-life stories: Cutting food cost by 15–20% and uncovering “CSI-level” mysteries in
your data
00:00 – Introduction & Guest Intros
02:30 – The MarginEdge Story & Team Background
05:00 – Why Inventory is Restaurant 101
08:00 – Common Inventory Mistakes (and Horror Stories)
12:00 – Solving Unit-of-Measure and SKU Nightmares
15:30 – Real-Time Costing and Consistency in a Volatile Market
19:00 – Partial Counts, The Hawthorne Effect, and Real Wins
22:00 – Finding Variances: The “CSI Restaurant” Approach
25:00 – Beverage & Bar Inventory: Why It’s Different (and How to Nail It)
28:00 – MarginEdge Implementation: What to Expect, Cost, Timeline
32:00 – Who Gets the Most Out of MarginEdge?
36:00 – Industry Changes: Why Tech + Grit is the Future
39:00 – How to Get a Demo, Links & Closing Advice
42:00 – Fun, Confessions, and Wrap-Up
Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.
Have a question or need a professional opinion? Reach out!
Web: https://consultingaccross.com
Get a Free Profitability Audit
Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/
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