We know the industry from the inside
Clever Cost wasn’t born in an office. The idea came from everyday life in the restaurant industry, and that’s still our starting point. Today we help restaurants with two things: getting control of their expenses, and paying less for their goods.
A software company that became a purchasing community
Clever Cost was founded by entrepreneur Tahir Siddique, known to many from the Danish TV show Løvens Hule (the Danish version of Shark Tank/Dragons’ Den). We started with a system that gave restaurants control over their invoices and expenses.
Over time, the numbers showed us something bigger than we’d expected: how differently restaurants pay for the same goods. Today, we’re therefore also a purchasing community that negotiates deals on behalf of our members.
“We want to strengthen their craft, make everyday life easier for them, and help them create outstanding and creative food experiences.”
We stand on the restaurant’s side of the table
The restaurant industry runs on thin margins and busy days. Yet it’s usually the restaurant that holds the weakest position when prices and terms are agreed. We think that’s wrong, and it’s why we exist.
We believe transparency is the strongest tool a restaurateur can have. When you can see your own numbers, and we can see what the industry pays for the same goods, negotiating stops being a guessing game.
Our vision is an industry where the small restaurant buys on the same terms as the big chain. We don’t sell products, and no supplier can pay their way to a recommendation from us. We only earn something if our members come out ahead.
What we’ve built since
From an observation in a food hall to a community that negotiates on behalf of the whole industry.
The problem becomes clear
Through our work with food halls, it became clear that restaurants lacked the most basic thing: a complete picture of what they pay, and when.
We develop the idea and the software
We work on the idea and build the first versions of the software, designed to give restaurateurs control over their expenses without having to be a bookkeeper.
We launch Clever Cost
Clever Cost launches: invoices become digital and searchable, and restaurateurs get notified ahead of payment deadlines, with real insight into where the money goes.
Software and negotiating power in one
The data shows what different restaurants pay for the same goods. We start negotiating deals on behalf of our members — and the more of us there are, the more there is to negotiate with.