Checklist template

Inventory counting and ordering for restaurants

A ready-to-use checklist with 106 items in 6 sections, covering Count procedures, Par levels, Ordering, Storage organization, Variance review, Records. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 106 Items
  • 89 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 119 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Count procedures 19 items

  1. A full inventory count is taken on the schedule set by company policy (weekly or at period end) Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Date of the last full inventory count Date
  3. The count is taken after closing or before opening, when no product is moving Yes / No 1 pt
  4. All deliveries received before the count are put away before counting starts Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Count sheets list items in the order they sit on the shelves Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Two people count together: one counts and one records Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The count is done by weighing or counting each item, not by estimating Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Open containers are counted in the unit stated on the count sheet (pound, kilogram, each, tenths of a case) Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Partly used bottles of liquor are counted in tenths or weighed on a bar scale Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Kegs are weighed or measured with a keg gauge Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Prepared items (sauces, cut produce, portioned proteins) are counted on the prep section of the count sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Product on the cooking line and in reach-in coolers is included in the count Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Product in off-site or outdoor storage is included in the count Yes / No 1 pt
  14. A manager recounted at least 5 high-cost items after the count Yes / No 1 pt
  15. High-cost items recounted by the manager that differed from the first count Number
  16. Daily counts are taken of the key items named by company policy (proteins, cheese, fryer oil) Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Counts are entered in the inventory system the same day Yes / No 1 pt
  18. The scale used for counting reads correctly with a known weight Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Reliability of the last count, from the recount of items sampled during the visit Rating
    • All items matched 5 pts
    • One or two small differences 3 pts
    • Several or large differences 1 pt

2. Par levels 17 items

  1. A par level is set for every item on the order guide Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Par sheets are posted or available on the ordering device in the storage areas Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Par levels were reviewed in the last 3 months Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Date of the last par level review Date
  5. Par levels differ between weekdays and weekends for perishable items Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Par levels were adjusted for the current menu, promotion or season Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Items removed from the menu have been taken off the par sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  8. A sample of 10 items showed stock on hand at or below par plus one delivery Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Items sampled with stock above par plus one delivery Number
  10. Items sampled that were out of stock Number
  11. No menu item was unavailable for lack of an ingredient on the last 7 days Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Days of stock on hand for fresh proteins are within the shelf life of the product Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Prep par levels for each daypart are posted at the prep station Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The prep list is written from a count of what is on hand against the prep par Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Par levels for paper goods and packaging include the supplier's lead time Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The manager asked could explain how a par level is calculated from usage and delivery frequency Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Stock levels against par in the storage areas Rating
    • At par across the items sampled 5 pts
    • Some items over or short 3 pts
    • Widespread overstock or shortages 1 pt

3. Ordering 18 items

  1. Orders are written from a shelf count against par, not from memory Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Each order takes into account the sales forecast for the days until the next delivery Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Reservations, catering orders and local events are taken into account in the order Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Orders are placed by a trained person named on the ordering schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  5. A trained backup is named for days when the usual person is absent Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Orders were sent before each supplier's cut-off time on the last 4 order days Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Orders are placed only with approved suppliers, on the approved order guide Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Items are ordered by the product code on the order guide, with no unapproved substitutes Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The order confirmation from the supplier is checked against what was ordered Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Emergency purchases from retail stores in the last 4 weeks were approved by the manager Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Emergency purchases from retail stores in the last 4 weeks Number
  12. Transfers from other restaurants are requested only after the storage areas have been checked Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Order quantities are rounded to the nearest full case, not always rounded up Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Standing orders (bread, dairy, produce) were reviewed against sales in the last 30 days Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Fresh fish, cut produce and other short-shelf-life items are ordered for the last delivery before the day of use Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The order for a limited-time offer follows the forecast given by the head office or franchisor Yes / No 1 pt
  17. The amount ordered for the week is compared with the purchasing budget based on forecast sales Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Ordering discipline Rating
    • Counted, forecast and on time 5 pts
    • Counted but not adjusted to forecast 3 pts
    • Ordered from memory or late 1 pt

4. Storage organization 17 items

  1. Every shelf in dry storage is labeled with the name of the item that belongs there Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Every shelf in the walk-in cooler is labeled with the name of the item that belongs there Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Items are stored in the same sequence as the count sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Each item is kept in one location, not split between several shelves or rooms Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Open cases are emptied before a new case of the same item is opened Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Partial cases are placed in front of or on top of full cases so that they are counted and used first Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Cases are stacked with the product name and pack size visible Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Bulk ingredients moved to bins are labeled with the product name and the unit used for counting Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Liquor, wine and beer are stored in a locked room or cage Yes / No 1 pt
  10. High-cost items (steak, seafood, liquor) are kept in a locked or supervised area Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Keys to locked storage are held only by the people named in company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Items no longer on the menu are removed from the shelves or listed for transfer Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Freezer product is in its original case or in bags labeled with the product and the weight Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Paper goods and packaging are stored by item with the case label facing out Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Chemicals have their own counted location away from food Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Items found in more than one storage location during the visit Number
  17. Ease of counting the storage areas Rating
    • Labeled and in sheet order 5 pts
    • Mostly organized, some searching needed 3 pts
    • Disorganized, items hard to find 1 pt

5. Variance review 17 items

  1. A variance report by item, comparing the counted quantity with the quantity the inventory system expected, is run after each full count Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Items above the variance tolerance set by company policy on the last variance report Number
  3. The 10 items with the largest variance are listed after each count Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Items above the variance tolerance are recounted before the count is finalized Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Each recount is recorded with the first figure, the corrected figure and the initials of the person who recounted Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Variances are first checked for unit errors, such as a case entered as an each or pounds entered as kilograms Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Items showing more stock than the system expected are investigated in the same way as shortages Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Transfers in and out are entered before the variance is calculated Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Invoices and credits dated before the count are all entered before the variance is calculated Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Product delivered on the day of the count is counted only if its invoice is entered in the same period Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Recipe and portion changes are updated in the inventory system so that theoretical usage is correct Yes / No 1 pt
  12. An item over tolerance in two counts in a row has its count unit, pack size and shelf location checked against the count sheet Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Par levels are lowered for items that the variance review shows as repeatedly overstocked or spoiled Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Gap between actual and theoretical food cost for the last period (percentage points) Number
  15. The manager signs off the final count once the variance review is complete Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Variances that remain after count and entry errors are ruled out are passed to the food cost review with the item and the quantity Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Review of variances after the last count Rating
    • Report run, items recounted and errors corrected 5 pts
    • Report run but nothing recounted 3 pts
    • No variance report run 1 pt

6. Records 18 items

  1. Count sheets for the periods required by company policy are on file or saved in the system Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Count sheets are signed by the people who counted Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Invoices are entered in the inventory system within 2 days of delivery Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Unit prices in the inventory system match the latest invoice for 5 items sampled Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The value of the closing inventory is reported to the head office or franchisor by the period deadline Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Transfer slips are completed for every transfer between restaurants Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Transfer slips are signed by the sending and the receiving restaurant Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Supplier cut-off times and delivery days are listed on the order guide or posted at the ordering station Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Each emergency purchase receipt is filed with a note of the item and the reason it ran out Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Order history for at least the last 4 weeks is available to the person ordering Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The order guide shows the current items, pack sizes and suppliers Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The inventory system's item list matches the current menu's ingredients Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Access to edit counts in the inventory system is limited to managers Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Changes made to a count after it was entered show the name of the person who made them Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Corrective actions from the previous inventory review have been completed Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Name of the manager responsible for inventory Short text
  17. Overall control of inventory and ordering Rating
    • Counts reliable, pars current and orders on time 5 pts
    • Counts done, pars or orders not kept up 3 pts
    • Counts unreliable or orders made from memory 1 pt
  18. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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