Glossary
Prep list
A prep list is the written set of tasks and quantities a kitchen must complete before service to be ready for the expected volume.
How a prep list runs the kitchen
A prep list translates forecasted covers into concrete work: how much sauce to make, how many proteins to portion, which components to build to par. It sequences the day so stations open fully stocked and nothing is made in a panic during the rush.
Built against par levels and sales history, a good prep list controls both shortages and over-production, which is where waste and food cost quietly grow.
- Set par levels from sales history and forecast covers
- Assign tasks and quantities by station
- Right-size production to cut both shortages and waste
Example
Reading 140 covers on the books, a sous chef sets the prep list to ten quarts of sauce, sixty portioned proteins, and four hotel pans of vegetables. The line opens stocked and avoids both an 86 and a pile of waste.
See also
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