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Getting a Michelin Star is hard work. Keeping it and earning another one takes a lot of effort, too. From curating the seasonal menu and wine lists to planning the beverage program, streamlining the processes, hiring chefs and doing proper inventory organization - it’s all crucial. The top 25 Michelin Star restaurants are no strangers to this work.
As a restaurant owner, you know the many challenges that come with running a successful restaurant. Choosing mocktails to serve, creating a signature cocktail, and finding the right food and tea pairing, as well as food and beer pairing options will take time.
Although beverages are not a factor that’s officially considered when giving a Michelin Star to restaurants (see: how to earn a Michelin Star and what is a Michelin Star), you should not neglect them. Well-curated food and drink pairings will improve the overall experience for the customers and may help you get included in the Michelin Star Guide. Drinks can complement flavors in a unique way that will leave the anonymous reviewers in awe!
Beverages have to be selected based on the concept of the restaurant and the food. To ease your restaurant manager and streamline the operations of the business, you need to spend more time on organizing inventory. Let’s talk more about that!
Inventory Organization for Restaurants
Owning a restaurant and running a profitable one are two separate things. A huge part of having and successful, profitable business, is handling inventory organization the right way.
Having too many bottles of certain alcohols and non-alcoholic beverages can eat away at your profits. Although alcohol expiration is rarely an issue, bottles may take up too much space and make finding what’s needed harder. They can slow down your bar staff and create other issues.
The good news is there are ways to make organizing inventory easier and to stay on top of things at all times. Here’s how!
Key Takeaway: Good inventory organization will help improve customer experience in your restaurant. Utilizing technology for keeping inventory in check will boost profitability and streamline the processes.
1. Find a Method That Works
Finding a place for the bottles with different alcohols will save your staff a lot of time. When they are capable of serving people fast, your restaurant will enjoy a higher customer satisfaction rate. Which will surely help when you are trying to get a Michelin Star for your restaurant or increase their number (see: how do you lose a Michelin Star for more useful information).
A tip for wine bottlers you can follow is storing them in the order they appear on the menu. This way the waiters will get to what’s requested faster, too. Mess and rushing will be avoided.
When the time comes to take inventory, this organization of bottles will come in handy. Settling on an organizational method may not seem like a big deal but in reality, it can save your staff a lot of time and effort, and in turn, make your business more profitable.
2. Label the Shelves
Can’t stress enough the importance of setting up great organizational systems to ensure the smooth operations of your restaurant. Labels are a great way to add another layer of organization to your lines and lines of bottles.
Print out labels to stick on the shelves to let everyone know where certain items go. Taking and putting back liquor will be easier to handle even for new employees. Not to mention avoiding the chaos that you may end up having to deal with then it’s time to take inventory.
3. Avoid Double-Duty Storage Rooms
If possible, try to avoid storing the liquor for your restaurant in the same room you store other supplies. Toilet paper can take up a lot of space and may be hard to put elsewhere, but if you can, make sure to do so. Having other items stored with the bottles may cause a lot of distraction and chaos, and can slow down employees who are trying to serve drinks during rush hours.
4. Choose an Inventory Method
When the time comes to do the inventory, try a few different methods to see what works best for you. Some restaurant managers prefer to do inventory as a solitary event. This is a way to avoid mistakes when counting. Other prefer a team approach where one team member call the number of the liquor and another one reports back with a number. Once you choose your preferred method, doing inventory will be much easier.
5. Use Inventory Counting Technology
Technology can make everything way easier for you, even when it comes to handling inventory. From keeping track of the current inventory, ordering what’s needed, and keeping records - the right kind of restaurant technology can change the game for your business.
BinWise is a platform that can streamline everything for you - from taking inventory to ordering and sending invoices. The detailed reports will help you make better decisions for your business, based on real stats, rather than a gut feeling.
Frequently Asked Questions about Inventory Organization
Whether you run a Michelin restaurant or not, keeping inventory in check is a must. In fact, having the processes streamlined and working on improving the food menu and beverage program can help you get a Michelin Star. But even if this is not what you aspire for at the moment, improving the way you run your business should always be a priority.
Here we’ve gathered some commonly asked questions about organizing inventory. The answers can help you better the process for your own restaurant.
Why Is Inventory Organization Important for a Restaurant?
Inventory organization is crucial for restaurants to maintain control over their stock, reduce costs, prevent overstocking or understocking, and improve overall efficiency in operations. Proper inventory organization will make the job of staff members a lot easier, too.
How Can I Determine the Optimal Inventory Levels for My Restaurant?
Calculating optimal inventory levels involves analyzing historical data, demand forecasts, lead times, and carrying costs. Restaurant inventory management software can assist in this process.
What’s the Easiest Way to Track Inventory?
Utilizing inventory tracking software is the easiest and best way to track your bar and restaurant inventory. Technology can save you not only time from tracking things manually but also roots out the possibility of human error.
Inventory tracking platforms help save money on over-ordering and can boost business profitability more than you would expect. Invoicing and digital ordering are also great features to take advantage of.
What’s the Best Approach for Liquor Inventory?
Keeping track of inventory that’s being used up over a certain period of time is the best way to decide how much you need to stock. By doing regular inventory and using technological advancements like inventory management software, you will be able to stay ahead of the curve.
Using correct data will help you plan better your inventory and manage it. You will avoid overstocking or understocking alcohol and other beverages. Your bar can be made even more profitable by knowing exactly what and how much you need to order for a certain period.
How to Organize Inventory to Increase Efficiency?
Organize the items on labeled shelves, avoid storing other items in the same storage room, and make the space accessible for employees. These are three steps that will make the workflow more efficient.
Having a place for everything and using appropriate labels will help bar or kitchen staff finds what’s needed faster. This way clients will receive their orders faster and will be more satisfied with the service in your restaurant. Taking the time to do proper inventory organization is absolutely worth it!