Restaurant Inventory: Stop Losing Money in the Walk-In
Ask most owners where their money goes and they will talk about rent and wages. Walk into the walk-in with me and I will usually find the answer there: over-ordering, no par levels, and food quietly expiring on the shelf. Inventory control is not paperwork — it is profit.
1. Set a par level for everything
Every item needs a number: the minimum you must have on hand, and the maximum you will allow. Without par levels, ordering is a guess — and guessing in a kitchen always means too much of the wrong thing.
2. Order little and often
Two or three smaller deliveries a week beat one big one. Food stays fresher, the walk-in stays organised, and you are never forced to use up a case of something before it spoils.
3. First in, first out — actually
Every kitchen knows FIFO. Few kitchens do it. Label every container with the date, put new stock behind old stock, and check it every morning. The five minutes it takes saves real money.
4. Count once a week, same day, same time
Pick one quiet hour a week and count the key items: proteins, dairy, expensive spices, alcohol. Compare it with what the sales say you should have used. The gap is your waste, theft or over-portioning — and now you can see it.
5. One person owns the ordering
When three people order, nobody knows what is coming. Give one person the list, the par levels and the supplier contacts. Everyone else reports low stock to them.
6. Watch the top ten
Ten items usually make up most of your food cost. Track those ten closely — price, usage, waste — and let the rest follow. Control the big numbers first.
Inventory control is a habit, not a project. If your walk-in needs a system, I can set one up with your team in a week.
