Central Kitchen Management Software
Central kitchen software that turns outlet requisitions into one production plan, cooks to standard recipes, and sends every batch to outlets with its expiry date and cost.
TL;DR (Executive Summary)
Parchika central kitchen software combines outlet requisitions into one production plan, checks raw material shortfalls before cooking, records every batch against a standard recipe, and transfers stock to outlets with batch number, expiry date and cost attached.
See it in action
From outlet requisition to invoice in one flow
Follow tomorrow's order from three outlets through planning, purchasing, production, dispatch and billing, or tap Try it yourself and run the central kitchen.
01Outlets send their purchase orders
Each outlet raises a requisition from its POS for tomorrow's sauces, bases and marinades. No phone calls, no photos of handwritten lists.
WhatsApp alerts will appear here
To Central Kitchen · deliver tomorrow, 7:00 AM
#IND-2041- 🍅
Tomato Base Sauce
kg · 3-day shelf life
6 - 🌿
Green Herb Sauce
kg · 2-day shelf life
4 - 🍗
Marinated Chicken
kg · 2-day shelf life
5
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Parchika Alerts
WhatsApp Business · auto
Requisitions, POs and invoices are sent here automatically
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What is central kitchen software?
Central kitchen software (also called a central kitchen management system, commissary kitchen software or base kitchen software) runs the kitchen that prepares gravies, sauces, marinades, doughs, bakery items and ready-to-finish dishes for several outlets or brands. It collects what each outlet needs, plans production, standardises recipes, records batches, deducts raw materials and tracks every transfer. Parchika does all of this in one system connected to each outlet's POS, so sales, stock and production stay in sync.
Who Should Use It?
- Restaurant Chains
- QSR Franchises
- Cloud Kitchen Groups
- Multi-Brand Kitchen Hubs
- Hotel Groups
- Bakery & Cafe Chains
- Institutional Caterers
Industry Insights
The Challenge vs. The Solution
Outlets raise requisitions in Parchika, and the central kitchen sees them combined into one production plan. The BOM recipe works out the raw materials needed and flags any shortfall before cooking starts. Each batch is recorded with its batch number, production date and actual yield, and raw materials are deducted automatically. Finished batches are transferred to outlets with their expiry date, and the transfer is charged to the receiving outlet at batch cost.
Common Problems
- Outlet orders (requisitions or indents) arrive by phone, WhatsApp or email and are hard to consolidate.
- Production quantities are guessed, leading to over-production or shortages.
- Raw material shortages are found halfway through a production run.
- Gravies, sauces and marinades taste different from batch to batch.
- No record of which batch was sent to which outlet, or when it expires.
- Yield loss and wastage in the central kitchen go unrecorded.
- Central kitchen costs are never allocated back to the outlets.
Parchika Benefits
- One production plan built from every outlet's demand.
- Consistent taste and portions across locations.
- No production run stopped by missing raw material.
- Trace any item at an outlet back to its batch.
- Less spoilage with batch-level expiry and FEFO.
- Accurate food cost for each outlet, including central kitchen items.
Core Features
Outlet Requisitions (Indents)
Outlets request semi-finished and finished items from their POS, and the requests are combined into one production plan.
Production Planning
Plan daily or weekly production from outlet requisitions, sales history and current finished-goods stock.
Raw Material Requirement
Turn the production plan into an exact raw material list and see shortfalls before production starts.
Standard Recipes & Multi-Level BOM
Fixed recipes with yield and process loss, including sub-recipes such as base gravies, doughs and marinades.
Batch Production
Record each batch with batch number, production date, planned quantity and actual yield.
Automatic Raw Material Deduction
Ingredients are deducted from central kitchen stock when a batch is completed, and finished goods are added.
Stock Transfers with Batch & Expiry
Send batches to outlets with batch number and expiry date attached, so outlets use stock first-expiry, first-out.
Yield & Wastage Variance
Compare planned against actual output and log wastage with reason codes for every batch.
Batch & Transfer Costing
Cost every batch from actual consumption and charge transfers to outlets at batch cost for true outlet food cost.
Central kitchen management, explained
How a central kitchen works, and what central kitchen software needs to handle at each step.
What is a central kitchen?
A central kitchen (or commissary kitchen) is a single production kitchen that prepares food for several outlets. It usually makes base gravies, sauces, marinades, doughs, desserts and pre-portioned items in bulk, which outlets then finish and serve. Chains use it to keep taste consistent, buy raw materials in bulk and need less kitchen space and skilled staff at each outlet.
Central kitchen vs cloud kitchen: what is the difference?
A cloud kitchen cooks and sells food for delivery only, often for several virtual brands, and serves customers directly. A central kitchen supplies other outlets rather than customers. Many restaurant groups run both: a central kitchen preparing bases and semi-finished items, and cloud kitchens or dine-in outlets finishing and selling them.
How does a central kitchen production plan work?
Outlets send their requirements (indents or requisitions) for the next day or shift. The central kitchen combines them, subtracts finished stock it already holds, and produces the difference. In Parchika the BOM recipe then works out the raw materials needed, so purchasing and production can see shortages before cooking begins.
What should be made in the central kitchen?
Items that are labour-intensive, need consistent taste or benefit from bulk preparation are the best fit: base gravies, sauces, marinated proteins, doughs and batters, chutneys, desserts and bakery items. Items that lose quality quickly, such as fried snacks or fresh salads, are usually finished at the outlet.
How are central kitchen items costed to outlets?
Each batch is costed from the raw materials actually used, divided by its yield to get a cost per unit. When the batch is transferred, the receiving outlet is charged at that cost. This puts central kitchen items into each outlet's food cost instead of leaving them as an unallocated overhead.
Why batch and expiry tracking matter in a central kitchen
Prepared items such as gravies and marinades have a short shelf life. Giving every batch its own number and expiry date lets outlets use the oldest stock first, shows near-expiry items before they spoil, and makes it possible to trace a complaint at any outlet back to the batch and raw materials it came from.
When does a restaurant chain need central kitchen software?
Usually once you supply three or more outlets from one kitchen, or run several brands from one hub. At that point indents on WhatsApp, recipes in notebooks and stock in spreadsheets start causing shortages, inconsistent taste, wastage and food cost you cannot explain.
Implementation Steps
Related features
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