Daily Inventory Checklist

A daily count and condition check across dry storage, refrigeration, produce, beverages, cleaning supplies, and smallwares. Run by the opening manager or sous chef before service to flag 86s, set the prep list, and trigger reorders.

Use this workflow
1

Dry Storage Inventory

  1. Count staple grains against par

    • Walk the dry-storage shelves with the count sheet. Record rice, pasta, flour, sugar, and dried beans in case-and-each units matching the par sheet. Anything below par flags into the order build for the next Sysco or US Foods drop.

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  2. Verify FIFO rotation on canned goods

    • Pull older-dated cases to the front; push newer drops to the back. Note any cans with bulging ends, rust, or dented seams and pull them from inventory — those go to waste log, not back on the shelf.

  3. Inspect dry goods for pest activity

    • Check flour bins, rice sacks, and snack cases for gnaw marks, droppings, or webbing. Pest evidence is a critical health-code violation — pull affected stock, log the find, and call the pest-control vendor the same day.

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  4. Document pest evidence and notify the GM

    • Photograph the area, isolate compromised product into the waste log, and message the GM with location and scope. Pull the pest-control service contract and confirm the next scheduled visit or request an emergency call-out.

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2

Refrigerated Inventory

  1. Log walk-in and reach-in temperatures

    • Read the thermometer in each walk-in, reach-in, and low-boy. Cold-holding must be 41°F or below per FDA Food Code. If a unit is over 41°F, move TCS product to a working unit and call refrigeration service before opening.

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  2. Confirm whether any unit is out of range

    • If any cold-holding unit reads above 41°F or any freezer above 0°F, the workflow branches to a corrective-action step. Don't skip — undocumented temperature excursions are the #1 finding in health-department inspections.

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  3. Relocate TCS product and call refrigeration service

    • Move dairy, meat, seafood, poultry, and prepped TCS items to a working unit immediately. Log the time discovered, time relocated, and product temperature. Any TCS food held above 41°F for more than 4 hours is discarded per the 4-hour rule.

  4. Count dairy against the par sheet

    • Milk, heavy cream, butter, and cheese — count in usable units (gallons, lbs, wheels) and pull anything with a use-by date in the next 24 hours forward for prep priority. Check seals and smell on opened containers.

  5. Inspect meat, seafood, and poultry

    • Verify protein cases are stored on the bottom shelves with seafood lowest, poultry above, then ground meat, then whole cuts — top-to-bottom by cook temperature. Check pack dates, color, and odor. Anything past the use-by goes to the waste log.

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3

Produce Inventory

  1. Inspect produce for spoilage and bruising

    • Walk the produce walk-in case by case. Pull anything mushy, moldy, or off-smelling into the waste log. Trim and re-pack salvageable items — bruised tomatoes for sauce, soft avocados for guacamole prep — rather than tossing whole cases.

  2. Count fresh herbs and salad greens

    • Herbs and greens turn fastest — count in usable bunches or pounds. Mesclun, arugula, romaine, and parsley are the usual reorder triggers for a Tuesday or Friday drop.

  3. Verify seasonal and special-menu items

    • Cross-reference today's specials board and prep list against actual produce on hand. If the special calls for heirloom tomatoes or ramps and the count is short, decide now whether to swap the special or pull the dish before service.

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4

Beverage Inventory

  1. Count non-alcoholic beverages

    • Sodas, bottled water, juices, and mixers — count by case and loose units against the BOH cooler par and the bar-back par. Note any flat or near-expiry bottles for pull.

  2. Verify liquor and beer par at the bar

    • Count well brands, call brands, and premiums against the bar par sheet. Check keg levels with a tap-line gauge or by weight. Flag any bottle below the 86 line so the bartender knows before the first cocktail order fires.

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  3. Confirm coffee and tea levels

    • Beans for the espresso machine, drip coffee, decaf, and tea selection. Check that grinders are clean and dialed. Out-of-coffee at brunch service is a guaranteed Yelp complaint.

5

Cleaning and Sanitation Supplies

  1. Test three-bay sink sanitizer concentration

    • Dip a test strip into the sanitizer bay. Quat-ammonia reads 200-400 ppm; chlorine reads 50-100 ppm. Log the reading. A health inspector will ask to see this and run their own test strip on the spot.

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  2. Review detergent, degreaser, and hand-soap stock

    • Check dish-machine detergent and rinse-aid drum levels, degreaser for hood and flat-top cleaning, and hand-soap refills at every handwashing sink. An empty hand-soap dispenser at the line sink is a critical violation.

  3. Count disposables and PPE

    • Nitrile gloves (by size), paper towels for handwashing stations, trash-can liners, and deli-cup lids. No-bare-hand-contact rule means gloves out = service stops, so this count is non-negotiable.

6

Smallwares and Build the Order

  1. Count plates, glassware, and flatware

    • Spot-check entree plates, app plates, water glasses, wine glasses by varietal, and rolled silverware against expected covers tonight. Short counts mean the dish pit needs to prioritize that SKU during service.

  2. Pull chipped or damaged service items

    • Any plate with a chipped rim, cracked glass, or bent fork goes into the breakage bin — not back into service. A chipped glass cuts a guest's lip and becomes a liability claim faster than any other front-of-house breakage.

  3. Count takeout containers and to-go ware

    • Hinged clamshells, soup containers with lids, plastic flatware kits, and bags. Cross-reference projected DoorDash, UberEats, and Toast Online Ordering volume for tonight — a Friday delivery rush burns through to-go boxes twice as fast as a Tuesday.

  4. Submit the consolidated order to vendors

    • Roll the day's below-par items into the order build in MarginEdge or BlueCart. Submit to Sysco, US Foods, PFG, and the produce broker before each vendor's order cutoff — missing a cutoff means a 24-48 hour gap and likely 86s tomorrow.

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