Restaurant Inventory Template

How to Do Inventory in a Restaurant?

It is essential for small family-owned cafes and five-star restaurants alike to manage the inventory - keep track of all the food and beverages you purchase. Follow these instructions to improve the quality of service and lower or completely eliminate unnecessary expenses:

1. Examine your storeroom and cold room . Put the items that expire quickly first whether you have the same products that have a later expiration date or there is food that can be consumed months and years later. All the supplies should be labeled correctly - there is no need to put a tag on every jar or box, simply point out the shelves that should store different objects for the convenience of restaurant employees. Categorize the food and drinks - when you have a busy day, do not let people that work for you spend time looking for a certain ingredient. Note that it is recommended to take inventory every time you receive an order from the food supplier - write down the items you put on the shelves and keep the employees updated on any modifications.
2. Draft an Inventory for a Restaurant . It is usually a spreadsheet in an electronic form - you can distribute the copies between individuals responsible for the food purchasing process. Moreover, a digital sheet will allow you to compute the expenses. Create a table with several columns: the unique number you assign to the item, the category the food or beverage belongs to (for instance, dairy or sauces) and its name, the unit of measurement, the value of one item, the number of items with the same identification number, and the cost of all the products or supplies grouped in one category. If you are using electronic software, there will be formulas and shortcuts that indicate the total value of the identical ingredients or beverages you have at your disposal.
3. Schedule future inventories - let the staff know the dates and the names of employees entrusted to amend the inventory and compose a report in case you want their opinion on the items you do not need to order anymore. It is advised to count the items once a week - within a month or so, you will be able to optimize the inventory management, figure out what food and beverages are not in demand so that the restaurant updates the menu, and consult the spreadsheet to add new dishes to the menu and minimize your expenses.

Still looking for a particular template? Take a look at the related templates below:

• Bar Inventory Template;
• Food Inventory Template;
• Stock Inventory Template.