Restaurant Food Vendor Record

Use the Restaurant Food Vendor record to begin to track all your deliveries throughout the week. This sheet will come in handy when you conduct your weekly inventory. First of all, inspect all deliveries as they come in through your back door. Make sure you check off the products and compare the delivery of the vendor invoices.

If you are not checking the food from the truck as it comes through your back door, the restaurant vendor delivery person may take advantage of that and steal from you. This is a major loss to the restaurant, especially if the theft goes undetected. Unfortunately, vendor theft is common in the food industry.

The best strategy is to be proactive and verify the delivery and the quality of the product.

Always put the truck away in its designated areas to prevent time and temperature abuse.

What is the Temperature Danger Zone?

The Danger Zone: 41°F to 140°F
Cold food should be at least 41°F or below. Hot food should be a minimum of 140°F or higher.

Time and temperature is another huge factor in maintaining your food cost percentage. If you receive a partially thawed delivery, then your shelf life will decrease depending on how long the product was in the temperature danger zone. The partially thawed product will develop ice crystals once it is placed into the freezer for the second time. This will affect the quality and taste of the product served to the guest. If you are not checking the product for quality and visual inspection, then the product may go bad faster than the expected shelf life. You will have to waste the product which = cash in the trash.

Food Cost Formula:

Beginning Inventory + Purchases – Ending Inventory = Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) divided by the weekly restaurant revenue = food cost percentage

Restaurant Food Vendor Record – Delivery Information

After you conduct a beginning Inventory you add in all deliveries +/- transfers from the vendor log that you recorded deliveries all throughout the week – ending inventory equals the cost of goods sold (COGS). Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) divided by the weekly restaurant revenue = food cost percentage.

Of course, the food cost percentage varies depending on what kind of restaurant you have:
High-end restaurants will have a higher food cost percentage than casual dining or fast-food restaurants.
Knowing the product sales mix, food quality, customer service, menu prices and hours of operation impacts your food cost percentages

Ideal Food Costs at different types of restaurants:

The average food cost percentages range from 25% to 38%
Fast food restaurant may have a food cost as low as 25%
A Casual dining restaurant may have between 25% to 30%
High-end restaurants may have between 30% to 38%, depending on the product sales mix

Either way, in order to maintain a good food cost percentage you will have to work hard at it. Furthermore, consistent monitoring of these figures plays a huge role. Also, make sure your food order dollars match the restaurant vendor invoice. If those figures do not match 100%, then inspect the truck for the additional products that may belong to you.