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Managing Inventory to Avoid Theft and Spoilage in Your Pizzeria


Waste and theft come directly off your bottom line, and both are hard to manage without the proper tools in place. The right software can identify where loss is occurring in your restaurant so you can take action. The problem operators find is that most software can’t track inventory usage for create-your-own pizzas.

Every week, a good portion of your cash outlay is for food and supplies. Next to labor, inventory makes up the bulk of your regular expenses. Stock that doesn’t get accounted for is your ‘shrinkage’: lost to theft or spoilage. With inventory software, you can eliminate guesswork, gain new control over the stock on your shelves and in your cooler and freezer, and save potentially thousands of dollars a year.

But how can an application track usage for my CYO pizzas?

Fair question. Most common applications can’t handle pizza because managing ingredient usage for menu offerings like half and half portions and create-your-own pizzas presents special challenges. In most restaurant systems, the only way to track inventory accurately for these "custom-built" menu items is to define a separate recipe for every possible combination of toppings, crusts, sauces, and sizes. That’s not feasible for most pizza operators: not only would the work be overwhelmingly time consuming, but most operators aren’t mind readers.

The solution is a program designed specifically for pizza restaurants.

How does inventory software reduce theft?

You’d be surprised, but once you’re up and running with the right application, spotting theft is simple. With consistent menus, proper portioning and physical inventory counts, your ‘shrinkage’ will become a lot more noticeable; sometimes to the tune of an exact weight of a box of cheese. That’s how accurate your inventory software should be.

With pizza-specific software and other loss prevention tools in your point of sale system, you can gain a new level of control over your business. The right software and systems will allow you to tie up less capital in stock, reduce waste, and improve margins.

Do you use software to track inventory? Download our free guide by clicking below.

Controlling Food Costs


Posted on Sat, Nov 23, 2013 @ 10:11 AM.
Updated on June 20, 2022 @ 11:45 PM PST.


Tags: Loss Prevention, Pizza POS, Portion Control, Restaurant Management, SpeedLine Inventory

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