When an ingredient arrives at your restaurant, it is likely to spoil sooner than later. You have limited time to utilize the array of foods at your restaurant. Instead of letting items rot in the refrigerator, streamline your inventory processes. Here are some of the most helpful restaurant inventory management tips.
Double-Check Your Inventory
Walking through your refrigerator and freezer with a clipboard isn’t the most invigorating activity, but it is essential to your bottom line. You must know exactly what you have on hand and how old each item is so that you don’t run out of ingredients or let food spoil. Double-check your inventory using restaurant POS equipment. A POS system can track your deliveries, inventory dates, and product lifespans. With both a physical and digital system working to track your food, you can save a significant amount of money in the long run.
Keep Inventory Staff and Schedule Consistent
The person who manages your inventory should have access to the information database or POS system and be able to tell you what you have at any given moment. Though you could split tasks between people on various shifts, the best course of action is to have a dedicated team member check your inventory around the same time every day. Problems tend to arise when you have several people managing inventory using their own organization systems. If you do not trust anyone on your staff to handle this project, delegate a few less-essential tasks to someone else to free up the time to check inventory yourself.
Incorporate Extra Ingredients in Current Items
Inventory management won’t just help you track your items—it will also help you plan how to use them. If you have a backstock of something or copious leftovers that you must use, create strategies to incorporate extra ingredients into current menu items. If you try this tactic, alert customers to any changes not reflected in the menu. Introduce a soup of the day special where you can turn extra vegetables, starches, and meats into something fresh and new.
Analyze Inventory and Accounting Data Together
A POS system will send you reports on your restaurant’s inventory and financials, so use them in tandem. The reports will reflect how much of an item you have in stock and how much each menu item costs. If you have underperforming items, consider how to advertise them better or put the ingredients to better use. If you notice that your items are selling equally well but not in high enough quantities, you will know that problems exist with the marketing strategies that pull people into your door.
The most helpful restaurant inventory management tips are the ones that work best for you. Try one or all of these ideas to see how your business improves. If you have any questions about restaurant POS equipment, reach out to our team at Business Software Solutions today!
