What restaurant inventory includes
| Category | Examples | Control need |
|---|---|---|
| Raw ingredients | Rice flour vegetables meat seafood spices | Freshness and usage |
| Prepared items | Sauces bases marinated items dough | Date labeling and holding rules |
| Beverages | Soft drinks juices bottled water tea coffee supplies | Count and reorder levels |
| Packaging | Takeaway boxes bags labels cups | Delivery readiness |
| Cleaning supplies | Detergents sanitizers gloves cloths | Safety and availability |
| Small equipment | Utensils serviceware containers | Loss and breakage control |
FIFO and expiry control
FIFO means first in first out. Older usable stock should be used before newer stock when safe and appropriate. This reduces expiry waste and keeps ingredients rotating.
Stock counts and variance
Stock counts compare expected stock with actual stock. Differences can reveal waste portion mistakes unrecorded staff meals theft supplier errors or recipe problems.
Never use inventory pressure as an excuse to serve unsafe expired contaminated or poorly stored food. Safety comes before cost control.
This article is for general education and restaurant planning. Real restaurants must follow local food safety rules licensing tax employment fire safety and public health requirements.
Food safety decisions should be guided by trained staff local authorities and approved professional standards.
Inventory questions
Fast moving and high value items may need frequent counts while slower items can be counted weekly or monthly depending on the business.