1
midpantry Price Brief
midpantry.com
auxilium.foundation
The Food Service Industry Auxiliary Backbone
An overnight deep-clean, rotate, and resupply for commercial kitchens —
bundled into one shift that finishes before the morning prep crew walks in.
One vendor. One SLA. One invoice.
Prepared by:
Alan Avram Shteynberg
alan@midpantry.com
August 08, 2026
midpantry Price Brief
midpantry.com
auxilium.foundation
The Food Service Industry Auxiliary Backbone
An overnight deep-clean, rotate, and resupply for commercial kitchens —
bundled into one shift that finishes before the morning prep crew walks in.
One vendor. One SLA. One invoice.
Prepared by:
Alan Avram Shteynberg
alan@midpantry.com
August 08, 2026
2
A Consolidated Auxiliary Payload
Affordable cleanliness and maximizing bottom-line should run in parallel; not one at
the expense of the other. This applies as much to the client of midpantry as much as
it does to midpantry itself.
The all-encompassing midpantry model is a deep-cleaning service that runs in
parallel with a daily material rotation and resupply, serving the Food & Beverage
Industry. midpantry is an overnight auxiliary service that deep-cleans, rotates
non-depreciating equipment, and restocks supplies (CPG) for independently owned
and operated eateries.
Strong fundamentals and inherent constraints back a mathematically proven
maximum and throughput tolerance given a present day economic and
infrastructure climate. What traditional math says midpantry can achieve is exactly
what gets done.
What's most interesting is that the midpantry framework is also lightweight and
nimble; from the ground-laterally. This means that the amount of value midpantry
generates can only increase for the same monthly price.
A Consolidated Auxiliary Payload
Affordable cleanliness and maximizing bottom-line should run in parallel; not one at
the expense of the other. This applies as much to the client of midpantry as much as
it does to midpantry itself.
The all-encompassing midpantry model is a deep-cleaning service that runs in
parallel with a daily material rotation and resupply, serving the Food & Beverage
Industry. midpantry is an overnight auxiliary service that deep-cleans, rotates
non-depreciating equipment, and restocks supplies (CPG) for independently owned
and operated eateries.
Strong fundamentals and inherent constraints back a mathematically proven
maximum and throughput tolerance given a present day economic and
infrastructure climate. What traditional math says midpantry can achieve is exactly
what gets done.
What's most interesting is that the midpantry framework is also lightweight and
nimble; from the ground-laterally. This means that the amount of value midpantry
generates can only increase for the same monthly price.
3
One Monthly Price
midpantry charges $1,500/month on a month-to-month SLA. midpantry operates at
near break even to ensure that clients are maximizing profit.
midpantry profits from furthering internal cost-reduction by negotiating better rates
with CPG suppliers as well as increasing client density and reducing touchpoint
proximity.
Three midpantry Axioms
Fundamental axiomatic principles underlie midpantry. These axioms allow
midpantry to optimize throughput without compromising on quality of service.
One Monthly Price
midpantry charges $1,500/month on a month-to-month SLA. midpantry operates at
near break even to ensure that clients are maximizing profit.
midpantry profits from furthering internal cost-reduction by negotiating better rates
with CPG suppliers as well as increasing client density and reducing touchpoint
proximity.
Three midpantry Axioms
Fundamental axiomatic principles underlie midpantry. These axioms allow
midpantry to optimize throughput without compromising on quality of service.
4
Diminishing Logistical Returns
Plenty of companies exist that professionally deep-clean kitchens. Other companies
rotate commercial kitchen knives and white rags, and others stock Consumer
Packaged Goods.
Very few if any do all 3 in one bundled service.
Because midpantry bundles 3 disparate services into one monthly invoice; logistical
costs are significantly reduced.
These midpantry operating cost-savings that meet the same goals for midpantry
clients are a flow-through conduit; meaning midpantry clients spend less for the
same amount of service quality and volume than if they were to hand the work to
numerous vendors.
It makes more sense for one crew to arrive at a client’s location to deep-clean, rotate,
and resupply than to do the same thing but with separate vehicles. The internal costs
that midpantry saves on gas, vehicle maintenance, storage, and bulk processing of
non-depreciating client equipment is reflected in the monthly price.
Dealing with more vendors and suppliers also means more time spent on
maintenance. The goal is to limit daily operating interruptions and reconcile less
invoices than needed.
Diminishing Logistical Returns
Plenty of companies exist that professionally deep-clean kitchens. Other companies
rotate commercial kitchen knives and white rags, and others stock Consumer
Packaged Goods.
Very few if any do all 3 in one bundled service.
Because midpantry bundles 3 disparate services into one monthly invoice; logistical
costs are significantly reduced.
These midpantry operating cost-savings that meet the same goals for midpantry
clients are a flow-through conduit; meaning midpantry clients spend less for the
same amount of service quality and volume than if they were to hand the work to
numerous vendors.
It makes more sense for one crew to arrive at a client’s location to deep-clean, rotate,
and resupply than to do the same thing but with separate vehicles. The internal costs
that midpantry saves on gas, vehicle maintenance, storage, and bulk processing of
non-depreciating client equipment is reflected in the monthly price.
Dealing with more vendors and suppliers also means more time spent on
maintenance. The goal is to limit daily operating interruptions and reconcile less
invoices than needed.
5
Diminishing Hygienical Returns
A Food & Beverage business has one goal; to maximize product throughput without
compromising quality. I was hired by and worked at Manhattan Bagel and Coldstone.
I was hired to prep food, work on the line, and man the cash register; wrongly
assuming that's all I'd be doing.
In both tenures, whether I was the sole employee on-site, or commanded by a
manager, I was asked to do a deep-cleaning.
… And just as I had suspected, half the time I was changing gloves and washing
hands in between serving customers and cleaning under walk-in freezer and fridge
wire racks, behind flat-top grills, and underneath counter-tops..
What should have taken an hour of deep-cleaning became two hours, at which point
I began to question whether I should bring this up with management, or continue to
inadvertently steal company time (how that dynamic feels).
This back-and-forth jumping around doubles the cost of what a professional
pull-forward deep-cleaning costs.
Adapting to varying scope of work isn't the problem, the problem is that there are
certain constraints involved in Food Service Industry cleaning that are cost and
time-prohibitive, and this is exactly where midpantry gets involved.
Diminishing Hygienical Returns
A Food & Beverage business has one goal; to maximize product throughput without
compromising quality. I was hired by and worked at Manhattan Bagel and Coldstone.
I was hired to prep food, work on the line, and man the cash register; wrongly
assuming that's all I'd be doing.
In both tenures, whether I was the sole employee on-site, or commanded by a
manager, I was asked to do a deep-cleaning.
… And just as I had suspected, half the time I was changing gloves and washing
hands in between serving customers and cleaning under walk-in freezer and fridge
wire racks, behind flat-top grills, and underneath counter-tops..
What should have taken an hour of deep-cleaning became two hours, at which point
I began to question whether I should bring this up with management, or continue to
inadvertently steal company time (how that dynamic feels).
This back-and-forth jumping around doubles the cost of what a professional
pull-forward deep-cleaning costs.
Adapting to varying scope of work isn't the problem, the problem is that there are
certain constraints involved in Food Service Industry cleaning that are cost and
time-prohibitive, and this is exactly where midpantry gets involved.
6
Diminishing Attentional Returns
The late Warren Thorngate, who was Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Carleton
University, posits in his research that there are 6 axioms that should be held in high
regard when talking about attention; or in this case, the high-level of concentration
required to deep-clean a Food & Beverage business; both time and cost-effectively.
David Beckley, a Senior Consultant at Accenture best summarizes a few of the
axioms that Warren Thorngate posits below:
1. “Singular Attentional Investments – attention can only be invested in
one activity at a time. Multi-tasking, even well done, is really just rapid
task-switching.”
2. “Diminishing Attentional Returns – as the duration of focused attention
on one thing increases its ability to hold our attention decreases. The
longer we are doing something the greater fatigue it has on our ability
to hold our attention.”
3. “Expected Attentional Revenues – we expect to gain from the
investment of our attention because we always want something, even
in an abstract sense, in return.”
4. “Exploratory Attentional Expenses – searching for where to place our
attention itself requires an investment of attention.”
David Beckley, Published Jan 7, 2018
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-much-your-attention-worth-david-beckl
ey-pmp-safe-spc4
Diminishing Attentional Returns
The late Warren Thorngate, who was Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Carleton
University, posits in his research that there are 6 axioms that should be held in high
regard when talking about attention; or in this case, the high-level of concentration
required to deep-clean a Food & Beverage business; both time and cost-effectively.
David Beckley, a Senior Consultant at Accenture best summarizes a few of the
axioms that Warren Thorngate posits below:
1. “Singular Attentional Investments – attention can only be invested in
one activity at a time. Multi-tasking, even well done, is really just rapid
task-switching.”
2. “Diminishing Attentional Returns – as the duration of focused attention
on one thing increases its ability to hold our attention decreases. The
longer we are doing something the greater fatigue it has on our ability
to hold our attention.”
3. “Expected Attentional Revenues – we expect to gain from the
investment of our attention because we always want something, even
in an abstract sense, in return.”
4. “Exploratory Attentional Expenses – searching for where to place our
attention itself requires an investment of attention.”
David Beckley, Published Jan 7, 2018
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-much-your-attention-worth-david-beckl
ey-pmp-safe-spc4
7
The comparison model below assumes that the midpantry client is either doing
deep-cleaning in-house, or is using 5 or more vendors for the same amount of value
that midpantry provides.
The comparative constraints that can be used as variables to estimate whether
midpantry is an Economic Value Added (EVA) and Justified Service Cost for a
business in the Food Service Industry are as follows:
In-House Deep-Cleaning
Time: 20 hours (1 month)
Preventative Pest Control: 1+X
Effective Pest Control Amplification: X+1
Payroll Employee: P*1.25
Payroll Employee Diminished Rate (fault-tolerant): *1.5
Cleaning Supplies: $10
Consumer Packaged Goods Cost: $500
Material Rotation Cost: $500
Customer Perception: Y-1
Improved Circulation (walk-in fridge): 1+Z
Improved Circulation (walk-freezer): 1+Z
midpantry Professional Deep-Cleaning
Time: 20 hours (1 month)
Preventative Pest Control: 1+X
Effective Pest Control Amplification: X+1
Client Cost: $1500
Consumer Packaged Goods Cost: $500
Material Rotation Cost: $500
Payroll Employee: 0
Payroll Employee Diminished Rate: 0
Client Forbearance: -$10
Customer Perception: Y
The comparison model below assumes that the midpantry client is either doing
deep-cleaning in-house, or is using 5 or more vendors for the same amount of value
that midpantry provides.
The comparative constraints that can be used as variables to estimate whether
midpantry is an Economic Value Added (EVA) and Justified Service Cost for a
business in the Food Service Industry are as follows:
In-House Deep-Cleaning
Time: 20 hours (1 month)
Preventative Pest Control: 1+X
Effective Pest Control Amplification: X+1
Payroll Employee: P*1.25
Payroll Employee Diminished Rate (fault-tolerant): *1.5
Cleaning Supplies: $10
Consumer Packaged Goods Cost: $500
Material Rotation Cost: $500
Customer Perception: Y-1
Improved Circulation (walk-in fridge): 1+Z
Improved Circulation (walk-freezer): 1+Z
midpantry Professional Deep-Cleaning
Time: 20 hours (1 month)
Preventative Pest Control: 1+X
Effective Pest Control Amplification: X+1
Client Cost: $1500
Consumer Packaged Goods Cost: $500
Material Rotation Cost: $500
Payroll Employee: 0
Payroll Employee Diminished Rate: 0
Client Forbearance: -$10
Customer Perception: Y
8
Improved Circulation (walk-in fridge): 1+Z
Improved Circulation (walk-freezer): 1+Z
This equation combines direct cost, labor efficiency, and customer perception into a
single decision metric.
Base Hourly Wage In-House Cost Midpantry Cost
(Pre-tax, Post Client
Forbearance)
Direct Cost Advantage
$9 / hr $1347.50 $1500.00 In-house +$142.50
$10 / hr $1385.00 $1500.00 In-house +$105.00
$12 / hr $1460.00 $1500.00 In-house +$30.00
$12.80 / hr $1490.00 $1500.00 Break even
$15 / hr $1572.50 $1500.00 Professional +$82.50
$20 / hr $1760.00 $1500.00 Professional +$270.00
Improved Circulation (walk-in fridge): 1+Z
Improved Circulation (walk-freezer): 1+Z
This equation combines direct cost, labor efficiency, and customer perception into a
single decision metric.
Base Hourly Wage In-House Cost Midpantry Cost
(Pre-tax, Post Client
Forbearance)
Direct Cost Advantage
$9 / hr $1347.50 $1500.00 In-house +$142.50
$10 / hr $1385.00 $1500.00 In-house +$105.00
$12 / hr $1460.00 $1500.00 In-house +$30.00
$12.80 / hr $1490.00 $1500.00 Break even
$15 / hr $1572.50 $1500.00 Professional +$82.50
$20 / hr $1760.00 $1500.00 Professional +$270.00
9
The only operational distinction between the two options is the Customer
Perception factor Y; where pest control and airflow improvements are equivalent.
In other words, midpantry minimizes the amount of chances that walk-in customers
observe the Food Service Industry operator and in-house staff performing
deep-cleaning during operating hours.
This is generally considered an unpleasant sight, often leading to second-thoughts
and ultimately a reduced bottom-line.
It's important to remember that it's not about whether any one particular Food &
Beverage business is itself already clean, rather who or what is doing the cleaning.
This analysis in its entirety assumes that the joint is clean no matter what.
Such minimization calls on a snowball effect scenario. With a baseline that
eliminates doubt and payroll now consolidated, midpantry client’s in-house staff
have minimal downtime and are always at attention ready to serve customers. With
attention resource at its maximum, we can make the following assumptions in
improvements from the client's vantage point:
● Service throughput
● Service accuracy
● Customer retention
● Customer feedback
In other words, as service throughput and accuracy approach maximum, so does
customer retention and customer feedback. Customers that stick around longer are
more likely to leave positive feedback online, i.e. Google Map Pack. This in-turn
organically bolsters SEO that improves discoverability for new potential customers.
The only operational distinction between the two options is the Customer
Perception factor Y; where pest control and airflow improvements are equivalent.
In other words, midpantry minimizes the amount of chances that walk-in customers
observe the Food Service Industry operator and in-house staff performing
deep-cleaning during operating hours.
This is generally considered an unpleasant sight, often leading to second-thoughts
and ultimately a reduced bottom-line.
It's important to remember that it's not about whether any one particular Food &
Beverage business is itself already clean, rather who or what is doing the cleaning.
This analysis in its entirety assumes that the joint is clean no matter what.
Such minimization calls on a snowball effect scenario. With a baseline that
eliminates doubt and payroll now consolidated, midpantry client’s in-house staff
have minimal downtime and are always at attention ready to serve customers. With
attention resource at its maximum, we can make the following assumptions in
improvements from the client's vantage point:
● Service throughput
● Service accuracy
● Customer retention
● Customer feedback
In other words, as service throughput and accuracy approach maximum, so does
customer retention and customer feedback. Customers that stick around longer are
more likely to leave positive feedback online, i.e. Google Map Pack. This in-turn
organically bolsters SEO that improves discoverability for new potential customers.
10
The variables that aren't included are:
● Reduced management time
● Improved consistency
● Reduced risk
The variables that aren't included are:
● Reduced management time
● Improved consistency
● Reduced risk
11
midpantry Benefits
Here's the complete recap and the no-fluff, less-than-obvious list of benefits that
midpantry clients receive:
● External cost reduction - midpantry makes money on cutting operational
costs and logistics, not on clients. Other services can compete, but at that
point, it's a standard.
● Internal cost reduction - midpantry enables the client to consolidate payroll
and cut out other overpriced suppliers and vendors.
● Waste minimization - owners have more time to improve their food service
operation by pulling levers that grow their business; not spin wheels.
● Fewer touchpoints - overnight cleaning, rotation, and restock. Only
customers walk through a midpantry client's doorstep; not redundant and
unnecessary delivery or auxiliary personnel that clog up valuable foot-traffic.
● Internal attention resource - peace of mind, quite literally. Peripheral vision of
owners, managers, and in-house staff isn't obscured by details they don't need
to worry about to begin with, resulting in reduced burn-out and fatigue.
● External attention resource - loyal customers only see the negative if and
when it is presented to them. Don't give them anything to rant about in online
reviews by reducing the False Discovery Rate (FDR). In other words, in a
healthy business, a penny saved is a penny² earned.
● Fixed value add - selling a Food & Beverage business eliminates any
additional guess work with midpantry as a 3rd party vendor. Buyers, financial
intuitions, insurance companies, and escrow services don't like unnecessary
dependencies. midpantry aids in making any Food & Beverage business
turnkey.
midpantry Benefits
Here's the complete recap and the no-fluff, less-than-obvious list of benefits that
midpantry clients receive:
● External cost reduction - midpantry makes money on cutting operational
costs and logistics, not on clients. Other services can compete, but at that
point, it's a standard.
● Internal cost reduction - midpantry enables the client to consolidate payroll
and cut out other overpriced suppliers and vendors.
● Waste minimization - owners have more time to improve their food service
operation by pulling levers that grow their business; not spin wheels.
● Fewer touchpoints - overnight cleaning, rotation, and restock. Only
customers walk through a midpantry client's doorstep; not redundant and
unnecessary delivery or auxiliary personnel that clog up valuable foot-traffic.
● Internal attention resource - peace of mind, quite literally. Peripheral vision of
owners, managers, and in-house staff isn't obscured by details they don't need
to worry about to begin with, resulting in reduced burn-out and fatigue.
● External attention resource - loyal customers only see the negative if and
when it is presented to them. Don't give them anything to rant about in online
reviews by reducing the False Discovery Rate (FDR). In other words, in a
healthy business, a penny saved is a penny² earned.
● Fixed value add - selling a Food & Beverage business eliminates any
additional guess work with midpantry as a 3rd party vendor. Buyers, financial
intuitions, insurance companies, and escrow services don't like unnecessary
dependencies. midpantry aids in making any Food & Beverage business
turnkey.
12
midpantry Criteria
midpantry specializes in serving local, independently owned eateries. Such eateries
meet most or all of the criteria outlined below:
● Food & Beverage business.
● Generates $500,000 - $10,000,000 in annual gross revenue.
● 1,000 - 3,000 Sq. Ft.
● Has a walk-in fridge and/or walk-in freezer.
● Generates grease.
● Has tile walls or floors.
● Has commercial kitchen equipment.
● Has a daily rotation need. For a pizzeria, it's stackable dough bins. For a bagel
shop or grocery store, it's baking pans.
● Seeks to improve ebitda by consolidating payroll expense away from
inefficient deep-cleaning performed by in-house employees.
● Seeks to decrease management time by consolidating vendors, suppliers, and
services into one, easy to manage touchpoint.
The midpantry crew and the back-end infrastructure demand that this criteria is
met. This allows for maximum efficiency and throughput, targeted at areas with
dense proximity to avoid any possibility of down-time.
This is also the criteria that allows midpantry to save clients $500+ / month;
guaranteed.
midpantry Criteria
midpantry specializes in serving local, independently owned eateries. Such eateries
meet most or all of the criteria outlined below:
● Food & Beverage business.
● Generates $500,000 - $10,000,000 in annual gross revenue.
● 1,000 - 3,000 Sq. Ft.
● Has a walk-in fridge and/or walk-in freezer.
● Generates grease.
● Has tile walls or floors.
● Has commercial kitchen equipment.
● Has a daily rotation need. For a pizzeria, it's stackable dough bins. For a bagel
shop or grocery store, it's baking pans.
● Seeks to improve ebitda by consolidating payroll expense away from
inefficient deep-cleaning performed by in-house employees.
● Seeks to decrease management time by consolidating vendors, suppliers, and
services into one, easy to manage touchpoint.
The midpantry crew and the back-end infrastructure demand that this criteria is
met. This allows for maximum efficiency and throughput, targeted at areas with
dense proximity to avoid any possibility of down-time.
This is also the criteria that allows midpantry to save clients $500+ / month;
guaranteed.