Inventory control for restaurants and burger joints: how to know how much to buy

In restaurants, burger joints and corner shops, inventory is money sitting on the shelf. If an item runs out, the sale is lost; if there is too much, the product spoils. The secret is knowing, at any moment, what you have and what needs restocking.

1. Record everything that comes in

Every purchase must enter the system, with item, quantity and value. Typing in invoices is where many people give up. Today there are systems that read a photo of the invoice or receipt and record the items automatically.

2. Know your consumption

Track how much of each item goes out per day and per week. Without that, every order to the supplier is a guess.

3. Set a reorder point

The reorder point is the minimum quantity at which it is time to buy again. It takes into account average consumption and the time the supplier needs to deliver. When the item reaches that point, an alert warns you.

4. Control waste and expiry dates

Note losses and products close to expiry. They show where money is lost and help adjust the quantity you buy.

5. Compare prices and suppliers

With the purchase history, it is easy to see who sells cheaper and when the price went up.

Less typing, more deciding

The goal of inventory control is not to produce spreadsheets but to help you decide. A system that reads invoices, shows what is running low and tells you how much and when to buy frees the owner to focus on service.