ClearCOGS Named 2026 Citizens Awards Finalist for Helping Restaurants Prevent Food Waste
CHICAGO, IL / ACCESS Newswire / October 23, 2026 /ClearCOGS, a decision intelligence company that turns restaurant data into daily operating guidance, has been named a finalist for Best Sustainability Program in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation 's 2026 Citizens Awards. The recognition highlights ClearCOGS 's work to prevent food waste by helping restaurant teams decide what to prepare, how much to make and when to make it.
ClearCOGS is one of four finalists in the category, alongside Allagash Brewing Company, Netafim North America, and U-Haul International. Winners will be announced during the Business Solves conference, October 27-28 in Washington, D.C., according to the Foundation 's announcement.
For restaurant operators, food waste often starts with a decision made hours before a guest arrives: how much bread to bake, meat to smoke, or produce to prepare. Making too much ties up labor and ingredients in food that may never sell. Making too little risks shortages and disappointed guests.
ClearCOGS 's decision intelligence platform combines data from restaurants ' existing systems with AI-powered forecasts and restaurant-specific operating requirements. Its outputs include daily prep sheets, order guides and labor plans.
"Throwing away food hurts twice. You lose the ingredients and the time your team spent preparing them, " said Matt Wampler, cofounder and CEO of ClearCOGS. "We help operators make those decisions earlier, with a clearer picture of what they 'll need. Reducing waste becomes part of running a more profitable restaurant, something the team can act on every day. "
In a firsthand account published in March 2026, Don W. Bradley, a Manhattan Bagel franchise owner and author of Don B From the Dish Pit, described using ClearCOGS to plan production for a product that takes roughly 24 hours to make. He reported reducing bagel waste and saving about $4,000 per month in labor costs related to overproduction after tightening production quantities and adjusting baking shifts.
A 2024 report by McKenzie Huneke, completed during an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps fellowship at ClearCOGS, estimated that food waste prevention with ClearCOGS can avoid 2.90 to 4.48 tons of CO2-equivalent emissions per restaurant location each month, depending on ingredient types. The study also reported average monthly food waste prevention of 380 pounds per location across the customers analyzed. The estimates draw on customer data and emissions factors from ReFED, WRAP and Hestia, and include both implementation results and modeled scenarios.
The Citizens Awards recognize businesses addressing challenges facing communities. The Foundation 's finalist announcement highlights the company 's approach to preventing waste at the forecasting and preparation stage.
About ClearCOGS
ClearCOGS is a decision intelligence company serving restaurant operators. Its platform converts operational data into preparation, ordering and staffing guidance. Website: clearcogs.com.
Media Contact
Matt Wampler
Cofounder and CEO, ClearCOGS
matt@clearcogs.com
SOURCE:ClearCOGS
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