Zero waste: inventory management methods for restaurants

The golden rule: FIFO (First In, First Out). What comes in first must go out first. Organize your shelves and refrigerators so that new products are placed behind older ones. Train your teams to follow this discipline.

Conduct regular inventories. A monthly inventory is the minimum to calculate your actual material cost. A weekly inventory of key products (meat, alcohol) allows you to detect theft or abnormal losses very quickly.

Label everything. Every product that is consumed or transformed must have a label with its production date and expiration date (use-by date). This is a legal obligation, but also a management tool.

Limit stock. Having too much stock is reassuring but expensive and increases the risk of loss. Work in a tight flow with fresh products. A refrigerator half-empty is often a sign of healthy management, as long as there are no shortages.

Use the loss sheets. Record everything that is discarded (order error, expiration, ground loss). Analyzing these sheets allows you to identify recurring causes (fridge not adjusted properly, portions too large, preparation errors) and take action.