What is an Inventory Count?

An inventory count is a process for verifying the number and quality of ingredients and food items used in a restaurant's menu. This will allow management to determine how much of each item is available for use and if additional stock needs to be ordered.

Additionally, inventory counts are critical in the restaurant industry to assist restaurants in controlling costs. Comparisons between the actual stock on hand and the recorded stock will identify food products that have been disposed of, damaged, or lost.

How Restaurants Use Inventory Count in a POS System?

Most of today's POS systems have inventory counting options. This allows a restaurant to automatically track inventory based on what was sold from the menu. A restaurant does this by keeping track of the recipe of each dish, and any time a dish is ordered, the system automatically removes the items from inventory.

Even though a restaurant has inventory tracking through its POS system, it still performs physical inventory counts to ensure the accuracy of the data in the system. This is done by having employees go through storage areas, coolers, and dry storage to count and record all items on hand.

By having regular inventory counts, restaurants can more easily manage their purchasing, control waste, and operate more efficiently in the kitchen.