Case Study: Opera Bar, Sydney
Cutting Food Waste Through Measurement
Food waste is a huge challenge for venues, but Opera Bar has shown how KITRO can track waste and help cut it by a third.
The Opera Bar, managed by Solotel, occupies an iconic location at Circular Quay, attracting both locals and tourists to enjoy harbourside hospitality. Solotel operates 30 venues and is using findings from Opera Bar to tackle food waste across the wider group.
The Challenge and the Approach
Opera Bar’s Head Chef, Fernando, was aware that food waste was occurring but lacked clear visibility on volumes, costs and specific problem areas. Without accurate data, it was difficult to engage the wider team or identify where changes would have the greatest impact.
To address this, Opera Bar implemented KITRO, an AI-powered food waste tracking system, supplied by Eco Guardians.
Supported by a Bin Trim Equipment Rebate grant from the NSW EPA, the system enabled kitchen staff to easily weigh and categorise food waste without disrupting service.
Within months, the data revealed the true scale of food being discarded — both in kilograms and financial loss — and highlighted which ingredients and processes were driving the most waste.
The Results
Introducing measurement alone created immediate awareness and accountability within the kitchen. As chefs began to see waste data in real time, behaviours naturally shifted.
Food trimmings that had previously been thrown away were now set aside, frozen and reused once sufficient quantities were collected. Waste insights also influenced menu planning and preparation methods, encouraging more whole-ingredient use across multiple dishes. For example, tuna off-cuts from sashimi preparation were repurposed into a confit dish rather than discarded.
Within the first month:
- Food waste per cover dropped from 69g to 46g — a 33% reduction
- Kitchen-generated waste fell from 32% to just 10%
These improvements demonstrated how operational changes, guided by accurate data, can deliver fast and meaningful outcomes.
Key Takeaways
- Measuring food waste makes hidden inefficiencies visible and actionable
- Awareness alone often drives positive behavioural change
- Collaboration between management, kitchen teams and front-of-house is critical to long-term success
What's Next
While back-of-house waste has significantly reduced, customer-generated waste remains an area of focus at Opera Bar. The team is now examining frequently unfinished items, such as side dishes, and refining portioning and communication strategies.
Front-of-house staff play a vital role by engaging with guests, sharing feedback with the kitchen and explaining why changes are being made — reinforcing both the environmental and operational benefits.
Solotel plans to roll out these learnings across its broader venue network, using insights from Eco Guardians’ KITRO system to drive further reductions, cost savings and sustainability outcomes at scale.
Interested to find out more?
Contact Eco Guardians for a free waste consultation.