Restaurant inventory control: stopping waste and variances step by step
A restaurant usually leaks money through three gaps: unrecorded waste, recipes not followed, and counts never compared to theory. This guide closes all three.
The four steps
- Link every item to a recipe with ingredients and quantities so stock deducts automatically with every sale.
- Record receipts: every delivery enters stock with its cost so dish costs are right.
- Count periodically by scanning barcodes and compare actual to theoretical; the difference is what was lost.
- Log waste with its reason (spoilage, expiry, prep error) so it shows as a clear expense, not a vague gap.
What RAWA does here
In RAWA, recipes deduct ingredients automatically, and counting works by scanning QR/barcodes for ingredients and items, comparing theoretical to actual and turning the variance into waste with an accounting entry. Prep batches cover semi-finished items such as marinated shawarma. Inventory ties to accounting so the balance-sheet stock equals the actual stock value.
Try RAWA in your restaurant
A 100% Arabic-first cloud restaurant system — an offline-capable POS, kitchen display, QR menu, inventory & recipes, and accounting with e-invoicing (JoFotara) on both plans.
Start a free 7-day trial — no cardCommon questions
How often should I count stock?
Weekly for expensive or perishable ingredients, and monthly for the rest at minimum.
Does RAWA deduct stock automatically?
Yes on the Integrated plan via recipes: each sale deducts the recipe's ingredients.
Where does waste show up?
As a waste expense with an accounting entry and in waste reports, instead of vanishing into stock variance.