Restaurant Inventory Template for Google Sheets & Excel
Download a free restaurant inventory spreadsheet to track food, beverage, packaging, cleaning supplies, unit costs, par levels, spoilage, and total inventory value.
Instant CSV download, no email required — opens in both Google Sheets and Excel.
What you get
- Google Sheets, Excel, and CSV-friendly format
- Kitchen, bar, packaging, and waste tracking tabs
- Columns for par levels, unit cost, total value, expiration date, and spoilage notes
- No email required
What the restaurant inventory spreadsheet looks like
Every column you need to run a tight inventory, with realistic sample rows from a full-service kitchen and bar. Total value is calculated automatically as ending inventory multiplied by unit cost.
Swipe sideways to view all columns.
| Item Name | Category | Supplier | Storage Location | Unit | Beginning Inventory | Purchases | Ending Inventory | Unit Cost | Total Value | Par Level | Reorder Quantity | Expiration Date | Spoilage / Waste Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribeye steak | Meat | Prime Cuts Co. | Walk-in (meat) | lb | 40 | 120 | 35 | $14.50 | $507.50 | 30 | 50 | 2026-06-25 | Trim waste ~8%; vacuum-seal portions |
| Chicken breast | Meat | Prime Cuts Co. | Walk-in (meat) | lb | 60 | 200 | 48 | $3.20 | $153.60 | 40 | 80 | 2026-06-24 | Strict FIFO; watch odor/slime |
| Tomatoes | Produce | Green Valley Produce | Walk-in (produce) | case | 8 | 20 | 6 | $24.00 | $144.00 | 6 | 12 | 2026-06-22 | Bruising / over-ripening risk |
| Olive oil | Dry goods | Mediterra Foods | Dry storage | 3L tin | 5 | 10 | 7 | $38.00 | $266.00 | 4 | 6 | 2026-12-01 | Store cool & dark |
| Burger buns | Bakery | Daily Bread Bakery | Dry storage | pack of 12 | 30 | 90 | 22 | $3.75 | $82.50 | 20 | 40 | 2026-06-23 | Stales fast; freeze surplus |
| Beer (cases) | Beverage | Citywide Beverage Dist. | Bar walk-in | case (24) | 25 | 60 | 18 | $28.00 | $504.00 | 15 | 30 | 2026-09-15 | Rotate by date; watch keg vs can mix |
| Wine (bottles) | Beverage | Vineyard Selects Co. | Wine storage | bottle | 90 | 48 | 76 | $11.50 | $874.00 | 60 | 36 | N/A | Track by SKU; high theft-risk item |
| Napkins | Packaging / supplies | RestoSupply Wholesale | Back stockroom | case | 12 | 10 | 9 | $42.00 | $378.00 | 6 | 8 | N/A | Non-perishable; bulk buy ok |
| Cleaning spray | Cleaning supplies | RestoSupply Wholesale | Janitorial closet | bottle | 18 | 24 | 14 | $5.60 | $78.40 | 10 | 12 | N/A | Store away from food & prep |
| Total inventory value | $2,988.00 | ||||||||||||
Scroll or swipe sideways to view all columns. Sample data shown for illustration.
Five inventory templates in one download
This free download includes a master inventory sheet plus four specialized templates designed for specific restaurant counting tasks.
Kitchen inventory template
Track proteins, produce, dairy, and dry goods by storage area with par levels, unit costs, and spoilage notes built for back-of-house counts.
Bar inventory template
Count beer, wine, and spirits by bottle, case, or keg. Spot variance, shrinkage, and theft on your highest-margin, highest-risk items.
Packaging & supplies template
Keep to-go containers, napkins, gloves, and cleaning supplies stocked without overbuying. Non-perishables with simple reorder points.
Food waste & spoilage log
Log what was thrown out and why — over-prep, spoilage, trim, or comps — so you can attack the biggest sources of waste first.
Full restaurant master sheet
One workbook that rolls kitchen, bar, packaging, and waste together into a single total inventory value and cost of goods sold.
Who this restaurant inventory template is best for
A spreadsheet is the right tool for some restaurants and the wrong one for others. Here is an honest read on where this template fits.
Best for
- Single-location restaurants doing weekly inventory counts
- Cafés, bars, food trucks, and small full-service restaurants
- Operators who need a free way to track par levels, unit cost, spoilage, and total inventory value
- Restaurants not ready for paid inventory software yet
Not ideal for
- Multi-location operators needing real-time inventory
- Restaurants that need POS integration
- Teams with many suppliers and changing prices
- Operators who need recipe-level theoretical vs actual food cost
Not sure yet? Compare paid tools in our best restaurant inventory software guide, or start by pressure-testing your margins with the free food cost calculator.
How to count restaurant inventory weekly
A spreadsheet is only as good as the process behind it. Follow this weekly routine to keep your food cost accurate and catch profit leaks before they compound.
Update purchases
Enter everything received that week straight from your supplier invoices so every delivery is in the sheet.
Count high-value items before service
Spot-count proteins and liquor before each service so you never get caught short mid-shift and can catch shrinkage early.
Count full inventory weekly
Do a complete physical count on the same day and time each week so your periods compare cleanly.
Enter ending inventory
Record what is physically on hand in the ending inventory column for every line item.
Compare current stock against par levels
Flag everything that dropped below par and use the reorder quantity to order back up to par.
Record spoilage and waste
Log what was thrown away and why, so the waste column reflects reality and you can attack the biggest leaks.
Review total inventory value
Check the total value of stock on your shelves and watch for creeping overstock that ties up cash.
Use COGS to calculate food cost
Plug beginning inventory, purchases, and ending inventory into the COGS formula, then divide by sales for your food cost percentage.
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Spreadsheet vs inventory software
The honest dividing line between when a free spreadsheet does the job and when it quietly starts costing you time and accuracy.
A spreadsheet is enough when
- You have one location
- Weekly counts are manageable
- Supplier prices do not change constantly
- You do not need POS integration
- You mainly need par levels and total inventory value
Upgrade to inventory software when
- You run multiple locations
- You need POS integration
- Invoice entry takes hours
- You need recipe costing
- Waste and variance are hard to explain
- Managers need real-time stock data
Weighing the move? See our restaurant inventory software overview and the best restaurant inventory software picks. For POS-connected tracking, start with restaurant POS systems. To check your margins, use the food cost calculator or learn how to calculate food cost percentage.
Outgrowing spreadsheets?
If you run multiple locations, need POS integration, or spend hours each week entering invoices manually, it's time to look at dedicated inventory software.
Who this calculator is for
Operators who want to start counting inventory properly with a free, structured sheet — and to figure out whether they've outgrown spreadsheets yet.
A cafe with ~80 SKUs can run this sheet weekly in about 20 minutes and still get usable variance.
A short par list on one tab keeps a truck from over-buying perishables it can't store.
A full kitchen with 300+ items will feel the sheet's limits fast — that friction is the signal to compare software.
Spreadsheets stop scaling across sites; consolidating counts is where inventory software earns its cost.
Examples are illustrative, not tested results — plug in your own numbers above.
What to do with your result
- 1Count on a fixed cadence
A weekly count beats a monthly one — you catch variance while you can still act on it.
- 2Watch variance, not just totals
The gap between what you should have used and what you actually used is where theft, waste, and over-portioning show up.
- 3Know when to graduate
When the sheet takes longer than the insight is worth, compare restaurant inventory software, weigh management platforms head to head, and see what pricing really looks like.
Keep researching
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a restaurant inventory template?
A restaurant inventory template is a ready-made spreadsheet for tracking everything your kitchen and bar keep in stock: food, beverages, packaging, and cleaning supplies. It records each item's quantity, unit cost, total value, par level, supplier, and expiration so you can count consistently, reorder on time, and see exactly how much money is sitting on your shelves.
What should a restaurant inventory spreadsheet include?
A useful restaurant inventory spreadsheet includes item name, category, supplier, storage location, unit, beginning inventory, purchases, ending inventory, unit cost, total value, par level, reorder quantity, expiration date, and spoilage or waste notes. Together these let you calculate inventory value and cost of goods sold and spot waste, overstock, and items that need reordering.
Can I use Google Sheets for restaurant inventory?
Yes. Google Sheets is a great free option for restaurant inventory because it works on any device, updates in real time, and lets multiple managers count at once. Our template is built to work in both Google Sheets and Excel, with formulas for total value and cost of goods sold already set up so you only enter your counts.
Is Excel enough for restaurant inventory?
For a single location with a simple menu and weekly manual counts, Excel is absolutely enough. It handles total value, cost of goods sold, par levels, and reorder quantities with simple formulas, and our template comes pre-built for Excel. You typically outgrow Excel once you add locations, need POS integration, juggle many suppliers with frequently changing prices, or want real-time stock and reporting.
How often should restaurants count inventory?
Most restaurants do a full physical inventory count weekly, ideally on the same day and time so periods are comparable. High-value or fast-moving items, such as proteins and liquor, are often spot-counted daily. A monthly count is the minimum for accurate food cost, but weekly counts catch waste and theft far sooner.
How do you calculate restaurant inventory value?
Calculate the value of each item by multiplying its ending inventory quantity by its unit cost, then add every line together for your total inventory value. For example, 35 lb of ribeye at $14.50 per lb is $507.50. To find cost of goods sold for the period, use: beginning inventory + purchases - ending inventory.
What is the difference between a restaurant inventory spreadsheet and inventory software?
A spreadsheet is free, flexible, and ideal for a single location with a simple menu and weekly manual counts. Inventory software adds POS integration, automatic supplier price updates, real-time stock levels, recipe and variance tracking, and reporting across multiple locations. As your menu, SKU count, and locations grow, software usually pays for itself in saved labor and reduced waste.
When should a restaurant upgrade from a spreadsheet to inventory software?
Upgrade to inventory software when you run multiple locations, need POS integration, manage many suppliers or frequently changing prices, are fighting high food waste, or your managers need real-time, theoretical-vs-actual food cost reporting instead of weekly snapshots. At that point software usually pays for itself in saved labor and reduced waste. Until then, a well-built spreadsheet is cheaper and more flexible.