TL;DR. Good restaurant inventory isn't about counting — it's about closing the loop between menu, recipe, sale and stock so variance shows up in hours, not weeks. Recipe-level deduction, daily blind counts, and central-kitchen transfers are the three highest-leverage practices.

Restaurant Inventory Management — A Practical Guide for Chains

Last updated: 2026-05-09

Key facts

  • Industry shrinkage. Median F&B shrinkage runs 4–8% of food cost; recipe-level deduction typically pulls this under 2%.
  • Daily blind counts. Daily blind counts on the top 20 SKUs catch 80% of variance issues with under 15 minutes of staff time.
  • Central kitchen leverage. A central kitchen typically pays back at outlet #4 for Vietnamese chains, sooner if menus share ≥60% SKUs.

Frequently asked

Can LOOP handle outlets with different menus?
Yes. Each outlet has its own menu, prices and tax rules, while sharing the master ingredient list and recipes from the central kitchen.