With sustainability becoming an increasing priority in the F&B industry, particularly through initiatives such as Ne’ma, the UAE’s National Food Loss and Waste Initiative, which aims to halve food loss and waste by 2030, restaurants are increasingly investing in technology that streamlines operations, reduces food waste and improves efficiency without compromising the customer experience.
As World Environment Day approaches on June 5, Foodics, a leading restaurant operations and financial management platform in the MENA region, revealed that 85% of merchants on its platform actively use inventory management tools, highlighting a growing shift towards technology-driven sustainability practices across the restaurant sector.
This year’s theme, “A Global Call for Climate Change and Action”, underscores the need to accelerate environmental action, improve resource efficiency and reduce wasteful consumption patterns that directly impact the planet. In line with this, the F&B industry has a critical role to play, as food waste and operational inefficiencies continue to contribute to environmental and economic challenges globally.
Food waste remains one of the most pressing sustainability issues facing the restaurant industry. In the UAE alone, an estimated 3.27 million tonnes of food are wasted annually, at a cost of approximately $3.5 billion to the economy, with around 38% of prepared food going to waste daily in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Much of this waste stems from over-ordering ingredients, inaccurate forecasting and overproduction. As operators seek to address these challenges, technology is becoming an increasingly important tool in driving more sustainable business practices. The widespread adoption of inventory management solutions across the Foodics platform reflects a growing recognition among restaurant owners that greater visibility into stock levels and purchasing decisions can help improve operational efficiency and reduce unnecessary waste.
Foodics supports restaurants through a suite of smart operational tools, including Foodics AI, an advanced analytics solution that leverages predictive insights to help businesses make informed, data-driven decisions. The platform provides real-time visibility into sales performance, customer purchasing behaviour and operational trends, enabling operators to forecast demand more accurately and optimize inventory planning.
By helping restaurants better understand historical sales patterns, seasonal fluctuations and customer demand, Foodics AI allows operators to plan purchasing and production more effectively, reducing the risk of overstocking, overproduction and avoidable waste.
Beyond inventory optimization, digital transformation is also helping restaurants reduce operational waste in other areas. Digital kitchen display systems (KDS) and touchscreen displays integrated with POS systems reduce reliance on paper-based processes and printed tickets, while mobile ordering, digital menus, self-service kiosks and digital receipts continue to support more sustainable day-to-day operations.
“As restaurants continue to navigate rising costs and increasing sustainability expectations, technology has an important role to play in helping businesses operate more efficiently,” said Belal Zahran, Chief Revenue Officer of Foodics. “By providing operators with greater visibility into their inventory, sales and customer demand, restaurants can make smarter decisions that not only support profitability but also contribute to broader sustainability goals.”
As the UAE continues to advance initiatives aimed at reducing food loss and waste, technology is expected to play an increasingly important role in helping restaurants build more sustainable and resilient operations.
To discover more about Foodics, please visit www.foodics.com.
