Prep list and par sheet
A prep list and par sheet sets a par for each item, the amount to have on hand to last until the next delivery or the next prep, and shows how much to order or prep to get back to it. Count what's on hand before you order or prep, write it beside each item, and the sheet gives you the amount for each one.
By Felix S. Pavel · Updated · How it's worked out
Download the free template
The PDF is for printing and filling in by hand. The .xlsx opens in Excel or Google Sheets. No email asked.
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Your par sheet and order
Any unit: lb, cases, each, quarts. Nothing you type is sent to us.
Example numbers. Replace them with yours.
A whole number from 1 to 7: turns use per week into use per day.
Days covered: the days the order has to last, from the day you count your stock and place the order until the next delivery after this one arrives (the days until this delivery arrives plus the days between deliveries). An item can have its own.
With the example numbers
2 of 3 items need an order.
| Item | Par | On hand | Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken thighs (lb) | 47 | 22 | 303 packs |
| Burger buns (each) | 264 | 190 | 847 packs |
| Yellow onions (lb) | 37.5 | 45 | Enough |
To order
- Chicken thighs: 30 lb (3 packs)
- Burger buns: 84 each (7 packs)
- Days covered: the days the order has to last, from the day you count your stock and place the order until the next delivery after this one arrives (the days until this delivery arrives plus the days between deliveries).
How we worked it out
- Chicken thighs
- Par: 84 a week ÷ 6 days open = 14 a day × 3 days + 5 safety = 47 lb. On hand 22, so 25 short: 3 packs of 10 = 30 lb.
- Burger buns
- Par: 60 a day × 4 days + 24 safety = 264 each. On hand 190, so 74 short: 7 packs of 12 = 84 each.
- Yellow onions
- Par: 12.5 a day × 3 days = 37.5 lb. On hand 45, which covers it: nothing to order.
prep-list-and-par-sheet.csv: each item's use, days covered, safety stock, par, on hand and order, with how it's worked out. It opens in Google Sheets, Excel or Numbers, and it's made on this device.
The par level formula
A par is what you use in a day, times the days the stock has to last, plus a little on top if you want it. What to order is the par minus what's on hand.
Par = use per day × days covered + safety stock
Order = par − on hand, never below 0
Days covered: the days the order has to last, from the day you count your stock and place the order until the next delivery after this one arrives (the days until this delivery arrives plus the days between deliveries).
When a pack size is given, the order is rounded up to whole packs or cases. Figures are rounded up, never down, so the order doesn't come out short by rounding. An item missing a figure is shown as incomplete and left out of the order: a figure you leave blank is never counted as 0.
- Use per week
- 84 lb
- ÷ 6 days open = use per day
- 14 lb
- × 3 days covered + 5 safety = par
- 47 lb
- − On hand
- 22 lb
- = Short
- 25 lb
How to use the prep list and par sheet each week
Print the PDF as a prep list template for the line, and use the calculator above to work out the order.
- List the items you order or prep, each with the unit you count it in: lb, cases, each, quarts.
- Fill in use per day, or use per week from last week's invoices and counts. Busy and quiet weeks differ, so use a typical one.
- Work out days covered once for each vendor: the days until this delivery arrives plus the days between deliveries.
- Before each order, count what's on hand and write it in. The sheet gives the order for each item, in whole packs when you give a pack size.
- For the kitchen prep list, set days covered to 1 and use the amount prepped per day: the order column is then what to prep today.
- Look at the pars again when the menu, the season or your sales change, so they follow what you use now.
If you buy the paid report, the Restaurant Fix Kit add-on includes a waste log and ordering workbook that ties pars to what you throw away.
Common questions
What is a par level?
The amount of an item to have on hand to last until the next delivery, or for a prep list, until the next prep. When stock falls below par, you order or prep the difference.
How do I work out days covered?
Count the days from the day you count stock and place the order until the next delivery after this one arrives. Count on Sunday for a Monday delivery with the next one on Thursday, and it's 1 + 3 = 4 days.
How much safety stock should I keep?
RestaurantDoctorAI doesn't set an amount. Many kitchens keep a little extra of items that run out on a busy night or come from a vendor that's sometimes late. Left blank, it counts 0.
Can I use it as a kitchen prep list?
Yes. Put in what you prep per day, set days covered to 1, and count what's already prepped as on hand. The order column is then what to prep today.
Is anything I type sent anywhere?
No. The calculator works in your browser, and the spreadsheet download is made on your device.