Franchise Combines Tech with Expert Analysis to Pinpoint Waste and Improve Bar and Restaurant Profitability
- Sculpture Hospitality franchisees use cutting-edge technology to provide expert insights to help bars and restaurants stem inventory mismanagement.
- Sculpture Hospitality’s low-cost, home-based, highly scalable franchise opportunity consistently ranks on Entrepreneur’s lists of top franchises.
- Sculpture Hospitality’s inventory management solutions reduced the shrinkage rate (inventory loss due to factors other than sales) at Short North Pint House in Columbus, Ohio, from 21% to less than 3%.
“There are so many ways to lose money in this industry,” says Canadian chef and restaurateur Jesse Vergen, who decided that inventory mismanagement was not going to be one of them. Vergen sought help from Sculpture Hospitality to “stop the bleeding,” as he put it, at his Saint John Ale House in New Brunswick. At the time in 2008, the bar’s pour cost – an important profitability metric that refers to the cost of alcohol as a percentage of the sale price of drinks – was a whopping 38%. Within a year of working with Sculpture Hospitality franchisee/consultant Geoff Loukes, the pour cost dropped by 7%. Vergen has relied on Sculpture Hospitality ever since.
Sculpture Hospitality, founded in 1987, is an international inventory management solutions provider with more than 300 franchise owners servicing thousands of bars, restaurants, nightclubs and hotels in 30 countries. Sculpture Hospitality combines state-of-the-art technology with insights and analysis from local franchisees, or consultants, to drill down on inventory mismanagement and improve profitability.
“What truly sets Sculpture Hospitality apart is the combination of cutting-edge technology with hands-on, local expertise,” says President and CEO Vanessa De Caria, who has been with the company for more than 20 years. “Unlike many companies that offer inventory software alone, we provide a service-first model where our clients aren’t left to figure things out on their own. Our local consultants work closely with bar and restaurant operators to interpret data, identify root causes of shrinkage or inefficiencies, and put real solutions into action. That partnership is where the magic happens. We don’t just sell software; we help operators improve profitability and reduce waste in a way that’s measurable and sustainable. That blend of tech and touch is unique in our space.”
Eliminating Inventory Mismanagement
Vergen’s experience provides just one positive example demonstrating Sculpture Hospitality inventory management solutions. Another example comes from Chris Corso, founder of Corso Ventures and One Hospitality in Columbus, Ohio, who heard about Sculpture Hospitality’s inventory management solutions from other operators in the area.
After opening Short North Pint House in 2013, the business experienced a high shrinkage rate showing a 21% loss of inventory due to factors other than sales such as spillage, over pouring or theft. Working with Sculpture Hospitality franchisee/consultant Chuck Ashton has kept the shrinkage rate at less than 3%, Corso says.
“We now utilize Sculpture for our ordering process, along with tracking the inventory to ensure its accountability,” Corso says. “The reports show us definitively by each brand how much inventory is on hand, how much was used and how much was sold.”
With insights and savings gained from working with Sculpture Hospitality, Corso Ventures was able to expand from two to five locations.
Advantages for Franchisees
“Opportunity and cautious optimism” will drive growth of the U.S. restaurant industry in 2025, pushing sales to a projected $1.5 trillion, according to the National Restaurant Association’s State of the Restaurant Industry report. The Sculpture Hospitality franchise actually experiences even greater demand during times of economic uncertainty as restaurant and bar operators strive to get every single dollar out of every drop and every dish that they’re serving, says Krista Dinsmore, vice president of marketing.
In addition to its recession resistance, Sculpture Hospitality offers advantages as a low-cost, home-based franchise opportunity that’s highly scalable, with exclusive territories, ongoing support and a recurring revenue stream. The brand has consistently ranked among Entrepreneur’s top franchises, including being listed in the Franchise 500, as a top global franchise, and as one of the best low-cost franchises.
Many franchise owners have backgrounds in the hospitality industry or in accounting, but prior experience is not required, Dinsmore says.
New franchise owners go through a weeklong virtual training with Sculpture Hospitality’s training department that addresses everything from business practices to using the software and conducting inventory audits. Franchisees then get hands-on training in their markets with regional directors. Franchisor support and training are ongoing – and key to staying abreast of Sculpture Hospitality’s advances in technology, newly available data reports and trends.
“We stay at the forefront of technology by keeping our ears close to the ground, listening to what our clients need, watching shifts in the industry and constantly refining our platform,” De Caria says. “We’ve invested heavily in building a flexible, scalable system that can evolve quickly. Our in-house tech team works hand-in-hand with our franchisees to ensure new features and tools are truly useful in the field. Whether it’s AI-assisted forecasting, smart ordering or dynamic insightful dashboards, we don’t just adopt technology for the sake of it, we implement innovations that drive meaningful improvements for our clients. And because we’re not a faceless tech company, we ensure every enhancement is paired with real support and guidance.”
Sculpture Hospitality’s Inventory Management Services
Sculpture Hospitality offers a range of service options for clients, from full-service consulting to a self-service model providing tools clients can manage themselves. Clients have access to a dashboard that provides an overview of data including dead stock or products that aren’t moving, slow-moving products, top revenue-producing products, product price fluctuations, stock efficiency, and much more.
“Everything we do is data driven. Our reporting can really drill down into the granularities, so the picture our franchisees can paint for clients is quite insightful,” Dinsmore says. “In a nutshell, our Sculpture Hospitality franchisees ensure that clients have the greatest profitability on their inventories as possible.”
With the full, white-glove service, franchisees or their team members visit their clients’ establishments regularly, audit inventory, and use Sculpture Hospitality’s proprietary technology to record and analyze the data. Franchisees then review the data with clients to target their needs and eliminate inventory mismanagement.
“At Sculpture Hospitality, we don’t just provide technology, we provide answers. Our clients aren’t looking for another platform to log into; they’re looking for clarity, support and results. That’s exactly what we deliver,” De Caria says. “The reason we’ve lasted over three decades is simple. We never stopped listening. Every feature we’ve built, every change we’ve made, has come from understanding what bar and restaurant operators truly need to thrive.”
For more information about franchising opportunities, visit Sculpture Hospitality’s website.
