How to Keep Inventory for a Coffee Shop

Getting a coffee shop stocked is no small task. Keeping inventory up to date and fresh takes computing skills and the right person to consistently count what's left in the store at the end of the day, week and month. You'll ultimately need to establish your own inventory methods based on the amount of traffic you have in your coffee shop.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Make a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel or a similar program of all inventory that you keep at the coffee shop. Include in this spreadsheet a list of anything that you have to order.
2. Differentiate between perishable and non-perishable items. Your coffee cups will last as long as you keep them away from dust (and don't break them), but muffins will spoil in a few days. Break down the spreadsheet based on the frequency you need to order and each item's shelf life. If you get discounts based on bulk, create a column to note that as well.
3. Add a row called Date where you can keep the dates that you take inventory. In each date's column, place the amount of stock you have currently in stock that day.
4. Determine who does the inventory. You can incorporate it into a certain shift each day. The shift that's the least busy, like the night shift, is good to assign the inventory duties. You can also decide to do it yourself.
5. Set a schedule for when to count each item. Pastries should be counted daily. Counting frequency for cups and lids will depend on how much you order, your storage capacity and how much business you get each week.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't run out. The minute you run out of inventory, you lose profit. Stay on top of the inventory game in order to keep the laws of supply and demand working in your favor.