Running a restaurant is not just about cooking great food — it’s about surviving unpredictable demand. Unlike factories or e-commerce, restaurants face sudden surges or empty hours that make inventory forecasting nearly impossible. This leads to cashflow volatility and wasted food.
In this episode, Salt breaks down:
Why inventory is so hard in restaurants (demand unpredictability, menu rotation, cashflow pressure).
Freshness dependency: why sushi and vongole pasta are “hard mode,” while stews and lasagna are “easy mode.”
Customization traps: how burgers and pizzas explode SKU complexity, and why omakase or fine dining avoid this problem.
Menu size & cooking method: instant-cook dishes = high satisfaction but high waste, while heat-to-serve systems stabilize inventory.
Real-world strategies: tracking Flow vs. Stock on a whiteboard, setting safety stock, and automating alerts with Airtable or Google Sheets.
👉 Key takeaway: Reduce freshness-reliant dishes, limit customization, balance instant vs. heat-to-serve menus, and separate Flow/Stock for clear tracking. Small shops can survive on a whiteboard; larger operations can automate with simple tools.
Whether you run a bistro, pub, or fine dining spot, this episode gives you practical steps to cut waste, keep costs under control, and run with more peace of mind.
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