In Denver, Colorado, Marczyk Fine Foods has earned a loyal following for its scratch-made breads, gourmet entrees, and market-made specialties. But behind the scenes, scaling this culinary excellence across multiple locations, including a commissary and a retail outlet at Denver International Airport, required more than just great recipes. It demanded operational innovation.
During a recent ECRS Learning Lounge webinar, Rob Jones, CFO of Marczyk Fine Foods, shared how the company transformed its operations by integrating reciProfity with CATAPULT®, powered by Unified Transaction Logic®. This shift moved Marczyk from spreadsheet overload to a streamlined, scalable system that supports growth and precision.
The Challenge: Spreadsheets and Silos
Marczyk has used CATAPULT since opening its first store in 2002. “It’s been a very storied and long relationship,” Jones said. Yet as the business expanded, managing production workflows, especially at the Marczyk Culinary Center, became increasingly complex. Their previous recipe management tool offered only basic portion costing, while inventory, unit cost tracking, and invoice management were handled manually.
“It was not an easy task,” Jones explained. “We couldn’t respond to real-time ingredient cost changes, which directly impacted our margins.”
The Turning Point: Discovering reciProfity
The turning point came when Marczyk discovered reciProfity. “We saw the dashboard during a demo, and it was a big attraction,” Jones recalled. The platform’s ease of use and scalability aligned perfectly with Marczyk’s growing wholesale and retail operations.
“Adopting reciProfity helped us scale our business as we scaled the platform,” Jones said. “It just seemed to be a great fit.”
Integration in Action: From Chaos to Clarity
The integration brought immediate benefits. “We’ve never approached unit cost for market-made items with this level of depth before,” Jones shared. Real-time cost visibility and tighter inventory control helped improve gross margins. “There has been definite return on investment from that aspect of the business, and the same is true for reciProfity.”
Marczyk’s cautious approach to new technology paid off. “We’re super careful about anything new,” Jones emphasized. “It has to improve sales, efficiencies, our bottom line—or all of the above.”
Unifying the Last Frontier
One of the most impactful outcomes was bringing market-made items onto CATAPULT. With barcoded items now fully integrated, Marczyk treats commissary-produced goods like any other vendor item. “We place purchase orders onto the commissary, which then ships to our markets,” Jones explained. “Production orders flow through the system with last cost visibility. It’s efficient, trackable, and a major time saver.”
A System That Works for Everyone
The benefits extended beyond finance. “We love Perpetual Inventory,” Jones said. “No more physical counting for barcoded items. Better ordering management, tighter inventory, faster cost identification—it all leads to increased gross margins.”
Even frozen goods like ice cream and entrees are now managed through a central system, with production orders generating store-level worksheets. “It’s saving steps and making everything more organized,” Jones added.
Looking Ahead: A Future Built on Integration
As Marczyk continues to refine their recipes, clean up data, and restructure costing strategies, the team is optimistic. “It’s an investment in time,” Jones acknowledged, “but once we come out the other end, the return will be undeniable. A year from now, we won’t imagine walking away from reciProfity.”
A Recipe for Success
Marczyk Fine Foods’ journey with reciProfity and CATAPULT is a testament to the power of thoughtful innovation. By embracing integrated systems and investing in scalable solutions, they’re not just preserving their culinary legacy, they’re preparing it for the future.
Ready to streamline your commissary operations and elevate your recipe management? Discover how reciProfity and CATAPULT can transform your business. Visit https://www.ecrs.com/ to schedule a demo today.
