Stock control for a small restaurant is done with daily recording of key ingredients, a weekly stocktake, clear ordering limits and a link between your stock and your menu. You do not need a complicated system to get started. You need consistency, a few standard forms and a team that knows what to note down and when.
If you do not control your stock, the problem shows up everywhere: ingredients are missing at peak times, you buy things you already have, you throw away products because they expired, or you make dishes with “roughly” sized portions. Below, you will see practical steps to put things in order, without getting lost in theory.
1. start with a list of key ingredients, not everything
The first mistake is trying to count everything from day one. In a small restaurant, start with the ingredients that affect your operation most: meat, fish, cheeses, cured meats, oils, basic vegetables, bread, pasta, delivery packaging and soft drinks. These are the items that, if they run out, stop dishes or create frustration in the team.
Create a simple table with columns:
- ingredient name, e.g. mozzarella, mince, potatoes, pizza boxes,
- unit of measurement, e.g. kilos, pieces, litres, packs,
- current quantity,
- minimum level,
- supplier,
- usual ordering day.
Do not wait for it to be perfect. It just needs to be useful. If you have 150 items, first choose the 30 most important ones. Then gradually add the rest.
2. set minimum and maximum stock levels
For every key ingredient, you need two limits: how little is risky and how much is excessive. The minimum level tells you “I need to order”. The maximum level tells you “do not buy more, it will sit there”. These limits do not come from theory, but from your own trade, your menu and your suppliers’ delivery days.
Hypothetical example: if you usually use 6 kilos of chicken per day and the supplier delivers every two days, you do not want to fall below 12 kilos, plus a small safety margin. But if you are holding 40 kilos for no reason, you increase the risk of waste.
Make the limits visible:
- write them on the stocktake sheet,
- put a small note on the shelf or in the fridge,
- tell the shift manager when they need to alert you.
The limits should change. Summer, weekends, holidays or new dishes may increase or reduce consumption.
3. do a small daily record and a full weekly stocktake
You do not need to count the whole business every day. You do, however, need a quick daily record for critical ingredients. At the end of the shift or before opening, the person in charge notes what is left of the key products. The process must take only a few minutes, otherwise it will not be followed.
Once a week, do a full stocktake. Ideally, on the same day and at the same time, so you can compare properly. For example, every Monday morning before prep starts. Count fridges, freezer, storeroom, bar and packaging.
To avoid chaos:
- split the stocktake by area, e.g. kitchen fridge, freezer, dry store,
- always use the same units of measurement,
- do not write “a little” or “enough”; write quantities,
- have one person count and one person record, if possible.
Consistency matters more than perfection. After a few weeks, you will start to see patterns.
4. connect stock with the menu and portions
Stock control is not only about the storeroom. It is also about the menu. If you do not know how much ingredient goes into each dish, you cannot understand whether the quantities leaving the kitchen are reasonable. Create simple recipe cards for the main dishes: ingredients, quantity per portion, garnishes, sauces and extras.
Hypothetical example: a burger may need a 180 g patty, 1 bun, 30 g cheese, 20 g sauce and 150 g chips. If 40 burgers were sold, you have a reasonable picture of what should have been used. If much more is missing, there may be oversized portions, incorrect prep or waste that is not being recorded.
It also helps to keep the menu clear. If you have many dishes that use unique ingredients with low demand, you fill the storeroom and increase waste. Prefer ingredients that “work” across more dishes, without making the menu boring.
5. reduce waste with simple storage rules
A lot of waste does not come from poor sales, but from poor organisation. Ingredients that were put at the back of the fridge are forgotten, packs are opened without a label, vegetables are kept in the wrong place, or the team uses the newest products first. These can be fixed with rules that are applied every day.
Use the “first in, first out” approach. Whatever is received first is used first. New products go at the back, older ones at the front. Put a label with the opening date on opened packs. For prep items, write what they are and when they were made.
Practical checklist:
- clear shelves by ingredient category,
- closed containers with labels,
- a separate area for products that need to be used immediately,
- daily checks on sensitive products,
- a record of what was thrown away and why.
Do not hide waste. If you record it, you can reduce it. If you do not see it, it simply repeats itself.
6. create a clear supplier ordering process
Supplier orders should not be placed “by eye” when you are under pressure. Define who orders, on which days, from which suppliers and using what information. Before an order is sent, the current stock, bookings or expected trade, and the days until the next delivery must be checked.
Use a simple order form:
- ingredient,
- quantity you have,
- quantity you want to order,
- delivery date,
- quality or packaging notes.
On receipt, do not only check whether the items arrived. Check quantity, condition, temperature feel where it matters, dates, packaging and any substitutions. If something is not right, note it immediately. This helps you avoid paying for product you cannot use properly, or blaming the kitchen for a problem that started at delivery.
7. forecast demand from history, weather and order channels
For better stock, you need to look ahead. You do not order the same for a quiet Tuesday as you do for a strong Saturday. Keep simple notes: which days specific dishes move more, when delivery rises, what is affected by weather, matches, local events or holiday periods.
If you accept online orders, make sure your menu is updated so you do not accept orders for dishes that have run out. In solutions such as Wiiz Eat, you can hide a dish that has sold out, set opening hours, delivery or collection and average preparation time. If you want to see how this process is organised overall, read the guide Online ordering system for restaurants.
Forecasting will never be perfect. However, the more data and observations you keep, the less you will buy blindly.
8. involve the team in the process
The owner can design the stock control process, but the team puts it into practice. If the cook does not note that an ingredient has run out, if the shift manager does not record waste, or if the delivery rider takes packaging without reporting it, the system breaks down. That is why you need simple roles, not general instructions.
Define:
- who does the daily recording,
- who does the weekly stocktake,
- who approves orders,
- who receives products,
- who notes waste and shortages.
Give the team a short briefing and explain why. Not “so I can check up on you”, but “so we do not run out of ingredients, so we do not throw products away and so we can work more calmly”. Put the forms somewhere they can be used easily: in the kitchen, in the storeroom or in a shared file. Every week, look at what went wrong and fix one process at a time.
conclusion: small steps, steady routine
Good stock control does not mean counting all day. It means having a clear picture of the ingredients that affect your work, ordering based on real needs and spotting waste quickly. Start with the key ingredients, set minimum and maximum limits, do a weekly stocktake and connect stock with your menu portions.
The most important thing is to keep the process simple. If it takes too long, the team will abandon it. But if it is quick, clear and useful, it will become a habit. And when stock becomes a habit, the restaurant runs with fewer surprises, fewer shortages and better day-to-day organisation.