Spec

Overview

Spec is an inventory platform for bars and restaurants managing food and beverage programs. It is best suited to operators who want to connect product records, recipe costing, menu analysis, and ordering; the free plan is useful for a small program, but stock counts and invoice reporting require Pro.

Key features

Costing and menu analysis

Spec’s product library keeps records for the food and beverages a business carries. It calculates ingredient, labor, and sub-recipe costs, then lets users build menus from products and recipes and assess pricing effectiveness. That gives operators a way to connect menu decisions to costs, though the free plan’s quotas—30 ingredient costings, 30 labor costings, 30 sub-recipes, and 10 menus—make it a bounded option rather than a fit for a growing or complex program.

Ordering and stock operations

Spec can draft orders by text or email and split bulk orders by vendor. It also supports purchase orders and waste tracking. The major dividing line is stock counting: the free plan has none, while Pro adds web and mobile stock counts and support for multiple inventory locations. Operators who need routine stock control will need to budget for the paid tier.

Invoices and mobile access

Pro includes digitized invoices, product price alerts, and invoice and price-change reporting, giving operators more visibility into vendor pricing. Staff can use the mobile app to view recipes, product information, and training materials. Spec is available on Android, iOS, and the web. Businesses can also email an inventory spreadsheet for ingestion by Spec’s team, which may help when setting up product records.

Pricing

Spec offers a free plan, a 30-day trial, and paid plans starting at $99/mo.

• Free Plan — free (billed $0/mo): Includes 30 recipe ingredient costings, 30 recipe labor costings, 30 sub-recipes, and 10 menus, but no stock counts. It suits a small operation testing costing and menu workflows; the caps and missing stock counts limit its use as an ongoing inventory system.
• Spec Pro — $99 a month (billed $99/mo): Adds unlimited recipe, labor, and sub-recipe costing, unlimited menus, web and mobile stock counts, multiple inventory locations, and invoice and price-change reporting. This is the practical choice for teams that need inventory operations as well as costing.
• Spec Pro (annual) — $999 a year (billed $999 Billed Annually (SAVE 16%)): Includes Spec Pro features. It lowers the stated cost compared with twelve monthly payments, but requires annual billing.

Platforms

Spec supports Android, iOS, and web. Its services are operated from the United States, where user information is transferred, stored, and processed. Its privacy policy says precise real-time device location is not shared with other users or business partners unless the user consents.

Who it's for

Spec is aimed at bars and restaurants building or running food and beverage programs. The free plan can suit a small menu-focused operation that can work within its costing limits and does not need stock counts. Pro is the stronger fit for operators managing ongoing counts, multiple inventory locations, or invoice and price-change reporting.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Recipe costing covers ingredients, labor, and sub-recipes, so operators can account for more than ingredient spend when assessing menu costs.
• Pro: Order drafts can be split by vendor, reducing the gap between bulk ordering and supplier-specific orders.
• Pro: Pro combines stock counts across web and mobile with invoice and price-change reporting.
• Con: The free plan caps key costing tools and menus, and excludes stock counts, so a business may outgrow it before it can use Spec as a full inventory workflow.
• Con: Stock counts and invoice tools require a $99 monthly plan or annual billing, a meaningful step up for smaller operators.

Alternatives

OrderNow Inventory is worth comparing for operators who want a lower-priced Pro plan: it costs $44 a month and includes unlimited menu items, ordering and KOT, one location, and standard chat and email support. Spec’s Pro plan instead emphasizes costing, stock counts, multiple locations, and invoice reporting.

growyze has a free plan and free trial, making it another option to compare for a business seeking a no-cost starting tier.

Galley is an alternative for teams looking for recipes, menus, and costing in a plan starting at $99 a month, with simplified onboarding and no long contracts.

Marji is a web-based option centered on a free QR menu for one location, with live price edits and sold-out controls; choose it when menu presentation, rather than inventory management, is the priority.

ScanOrbit is free during launch, with infrastructure and hosting included; it may suit businesses specifically seeking a no-cost web option during that period.

Craftable is another paid option available on Android, iOS, and web.

MarketMan may suit independent operators looking for a paid inventory option with a $249 a month Starter plan that includes one Vendor EDI integration and 50 AI-powered invoice scans per month.

Nory is another paid option, with custom pricing.

For a broader comparison, see Restaurant Inventory Management Software.

Verdict

Choose Spec if your bar or restaurant wants one workflow for product records, recipe and menu costing, ordering, and—on Pro—stock counts and invoice reporting. Its main advantage is that link between menu costs and inventory operations; its main drawback is that useful stock control sits behind a $99/mo plan. If your needs are limited to a small set of recipes and menus, the free tier is a sensible starting point; if stock counts are essential but the paid step is too steep, compare lower-cost alternatives.