Episode 9: Revolutionizing Restaurant Profit: Precision Food Cost with meez CEO Josh Sharkey
Guest: Josh Sharkey, Founder & CEO of meez
Episode: 86 Reason Ep. 9 | Josh Sharkey (meez) on Accurate Restaurant Food Cost Calculation & Operational Empathy
Episode Duration: 1hr 09m 57s
Published: November 24, 2025
Topics: Recipe Management, Accurate Food Costing, Multi-Unit Operations, Restaurant Technology
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Episode Summary
Welcome to the 86 Reason podcast, where we delve into the operational realities of the restaurant industry. In this episode, we sit down with Josh Sharkey, aptly dubbed "the apex predator of the restaurant tech world" and the Founder & CEO of meez. Built by chefs, for chefs, meez is revolutionising how multi-unit operations calculate their true food costs.
Josh is on a mission to "86" one of the most persistent and costly problems in the industry: imprecise recipe management and the pervasive underestimation of actual food costs.
Key Takeaways
The Hidden Costs of Guesswork
For too long, the essential backbone of culinary operations, recipes, has been managed through generic, non-specialized tools like Google Docs and Sheets. This fragmented approach doesn't account for the subtle, yet financially significant, realities of the kitchen.
Josh reveals that traditional methods can cause restaurants to miscalculate their theoretical food costs by as much as 3-4 points on average.
Why is this happening? It's not just the sticker price of ingredients. It’s the unaccounted-for factors that chip away at your margin:
Trimming and Yield Loss: The cost of the carrot is not the cost of the sliced carrot. Waste from trimming vegetables is often ignored.
Incremental Use: The "teaspoon of minced garlic" or "half a cup of sliced carrots" used for basting or finishing dishes often goes uncosted.
Lack of Standardization: Fragmented systems make it impossible to ensure consistent recipe execution across multiple locations.
This lack of precision erodes margins, hinders scaling, and turns strategic financial planning into a constant battle against the unknowns.
A Solution Born from the Kitchen
Josh’s journey to creating meez was driven by real-world kitchen pain points—from the loss of a crucial recipe notebook to the intense labor required to convert analog recipes into a digital, standardized format. He realized that existing inventory and back-office systems were not designed for the nuanced needs of recipe management.
His answer is meez, a platform grounded in "operational empathy."
This core value ensures the software adapts to how chefs actually write recipes, removing the burden of adopting a cumbersome, unnatural system.
The Secret Ingredient: The Database
A cornerstone of meez is its extensive ingredient database, meticulously developed over five years. This database contains detailed data on:
Weight and Density
Yield Loss (e.g., how much usable product you get after trimming)
Allergens
This revolutionary feature allows chefs to simply input "teaspoon minced garlic," and meez automatically calculates the exact weight, allergen info, and cost impact, converting quantities as needed. Precision is automated, allowing the chef to focus on cooking.
Precision and People: The Human Element
Josh’s philosophy is perfectly aligned with the "86 Reason" mission: "The human element is the secret ingredient."
He emphasizes that true culinary excellence at scale requires meticulous systems that empower people to succeed, acknowledging that running a restaurant is like a "Broadway show"—a relentless performance where there's no time to pause operations to fix the back office.
"The hardest thing to do are the things that are really simple."
This understanding drives meez's commitment to seamless, intuitive technology that integrates into, rather than disrupts, the demanding rhythm of kitchen life.
For operational leaders and multi-unit owners, meez provides the granular data necessary for:
Accurate Financial Control
Strategic Purchasing
Consistent Quality across all locations.
These are the foundational areas where Over Easy Office excels in providing expert support and financial solutions.
Beyond the Numbers: The Future of Recipe Tech
Looking ahead, meez is aiming for advancements in AI to automatically ingest, parse, and structure recipes, further reducing manual data entry and freeing up chefs for creativity.
However, Josh also points to a major industry challenge: the lack of seamless data sharing between different systems. His advocacy for greater data connectivity is vital for leveraging powerful analytics and aligns perfectly with Over Easy Office’s commitment to providing holistic financial and operational visibility for its clients.
Connect with Josh & meez
Ready to master your restaurant's financial backbone? Learn more about the technology that’s bringing unprecedented precision to food cost calculation.
Website: www.getmeez.com
Social Media: @getmeez
👉 Listen to the full episode with Josh Sharkey wherever you listen to podcasts and visit the Over Easy Office website for more expert operational and financial insights.
Beyond the Numbers: The Future of Recipe Tech
Looking ahead, meez is aiming for advancements in AI to automatically ingest, parse, and structure recipes, further reducing manual data entry and freeing up chefs for creativity.
However, Josh also points to a major industry challenge: the lack of seamless data sharing between different systems. His advocacy for greater data connectivity is vital for leveraging powerful analytics and aligns perfectly with Over Easy Office’s commitment to providing holistic financial and operational visibility for its clients.
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Don't miss future episodes of 86 Reason Podcast, created by Over Easy Office. Subscribe today for more candid conversations about the operational realities behind successful restaurant groups, because in this business, every story teaches you something about People, Plates, & Profits.
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Ready to create more abundance in your restaurant by streamlining operations? Learn how Over Easy Office's back-office support can free up your time to focus on what you love, creating exceptional culinary experiences. Contact us today to discover solutions tailored for the restaurant industry.