5 Tips to Manage Restaurant Inventory

Restaurant management can be hard to master and requires extensive experience in the industry, you must manage restaurant inventory. If you aren’t aware of the tips and tricks that is. For many, the mismatch between expected sales and resources needed to meet demand is not uncommon. Inventory management too in this regard is a crucial and sensitive aspect of your restaurant management.

If you’re finding it difficult to keep track of your restaurant’s inventory, then you can sit back and relax. Take a deep breath and keep reading. After having the right tips and tricks up your sleeves when you’re done reading, you’ll be sure to have a sustainable and efficiently managed inventory in no time.

But first, let’s understand why restaurant inventory management is important? Well, if you don’t know what all you are losing, you don’t know what all you could be potentially earning. Inventory management plays a big role in evaluating profits and ensuring efficiency and optimization. You definitely want this for your restaurant management if you want to expand and grow in the long run. So, follow the tips given here and observe the difference first hand. You’ll be glad you started on it right away!

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1. Make Use of a POS System

2. Use The FIFO Method For Food Spoilage

The First In First Out method can help save you a lot of costs and dodge a lot of bullets. By arranging your inventory according to specific dates and using ingredients that were bought first, you can not only prevent food from getting spoilt but ensure your health and food safety standards are also met.

You can even keep track of food spoilage by using containers and equipment that are made specifically for FIFO. Not only this, but make sure the area where you stock up on your inventory is dry and well ventilated. This will help your inventory stay fresh for longer. Even for perishable ingredients such as dairy, regularly check up on refrigeration and temperature levels. 

3. Make Use of Surplus Ingredients

Make the most of your inventory stock by utilizing it for new meals. Add in a specials menu at the end of every month to utilize any leftover stock or surplus ingredients. You’ll avoid food wastage in this way and give your customers a variety of new options to pick from. Being sustainable in your restaurant management should be a goal you should strive towards!

4. Track Changes to Predict Future Orders

By observing and analysing which ingredients were in surplus or deficit, you’ll be able to forecast the inventory stock for the following month efficiently. You can do this on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, allowing you to project and forecast better.

It’s also important to remember to keep at least two produce distributors on your speed dial. This is in case one isn’t able to provide you with a specific ingredient on an urgent basis. Thus, leaving you with another option at hand to order from. Pick those which are nearby and have the shortest delivery time.

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5. Keep the Same Employees in Charge of Inventory

To prevent any confusion or overriding of inventory stock, keep the same employees in charge. Streamline the communication and management process. For instance, create a hierarchy and division where each staff member is given a specific task to carry out which is in coordination with the others. By doing so, you will avoid miscommunication and errors when it comes to reordering or clearing out any spoiled food items. This will also help prevent any theft or item misplacement.