Stocking your restaurant is a key to-do before opening, but it’s not just about kitchen inventory – it includes bar ingredients and cleaning supplies, too.
Controlling food inventory is a critical aspect of your restaurant operation. Using your menu as your guide, your inventory checklist is unique to your restaurant and is an important planning tool. It allows you buy just the ingredients you need – and avoid costly food waste.
Here are a few other ways a solid restaurant inventory checklist helps you be successful long-term:
Each ingredient has a unique shelf life, storage requirements, availability and demand. It might not make sense to get pounds of pasta delivered as regularly as fresh tomatoes. The checklist helps you set a smart delivery schedule that keeps ingredients rotating so they’re at their freshest and are on hand when needed.
Some ingredients are easily ordered from wholesale food suppliers, while others are best sourced from local farms, markets, fishmongers, or butchers. Knowing your ingredients list, how much of each item you’ll need, and how quickly you’ll need it, will factor into your vendor selection.
Don’t forget to stock up on supplies like disinfectant cleaners, dish soap, napkins, and toilet paper. Budget accordingly, and have a plan to replace these items when they’re depleted.
Checklists are the secret weapon of successful restaurateurs – both before and after the doors open. Use the Restaurant Inventory Checklist to get your inventory defined, set up suppliers, and make sure everything is fresh and available to keep your customers coming back.
This checklist will make sure you have everything you need to make your recipe dreams come true.