A par level is the amount of a prepped item you want ready at the start of service. With a par for every item and every day of the week, the morning prep list writes itself: count what is on hand, and prep the difference.
Set pars by day of the week
A Tuesday lunch and a Saturday dinner need very different amounts. Set a separate par for each day, based on what you sold on that weekday in recent weeks.
- Take the amount sold on the same weekday over the last four weeks.
- Work out the average.
- Add a small buffer, for example 10%, for a busier day than usual.
Example: braised beef sold on the last four Fridays: 22, 25, 23 and 26 portions. The average is 24. With a 10% buffer, the Friday par is 26 portions.
Keep the buffer smaller for items with a short shelf life, and larger for items that hold well and take long to prepare.
Use the pars every morning
Before prep starts, someone counts what is already on hand. The amount to prep is the par minus what is on hand.
| Item (Friday) | Par | On hand | To prep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soup of the day (L) | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| Braised beef (portions) | 26 | 10 | 16 |
| Roast potatoes (portions) | 50 | 12 | 38 |
| House vinaigrette (L) | 1.5 | 2 | 0 |
| Chocolate tart (portions) | 22 | not counted yet | count first |
Group the list by station so each chef sees their own section, and tick items off as they are done.
Adjust after a week
- Items that run out before the end of service: raise the par for that day.
- Items you keep throwing away: lower the par, or the buffer.
- Menu changes, holidays and local events: adjust the pars for the days affected, then return to normal.
After two or three weeks the pars settle, and both waste and run-outs drop.
Your prep list, ready every morning
The Daily Prep & Par List holds the pars for every item by day of the week. Choose the day, enter what is on hand, and the sheet shows how much to prep, with each line marked Prep, OK or Count, station by station. Print it or open it on a tablet in the kitchen.
Related
- Read: Standard Recipe Cards: What to Include
- Read: How to Catch Supplier Price Rises
- Also useful: Waste Log, the top waste items show which pars to lower
Every template in Restaurant Notes is in the Complete Restaurant Collection: 25 tools in one download.