Counting Inventory
Counting is how you tell Inventory what you physically have on the shelf. Counts establish your starting quantities, correct any drift, and feed your variance reports. This article covers running a count sheet from start to commit.
Where to find it
Inventory → Count Sheets. Counts are per venue, so select a location first.
Starting a count
- Click New Count.
- Optionally scope the sheet so you only count part of the restaurant:
- By category (e.g. just Liquor), or
- By storage location (e.g. just the Walk-in).
- Choose whether to run it as a blind count (recommended — see below).
- Start counting.
Entering counts
- Enter what you physically have in the item's stock (counting) unit — the unit shown next to each line. Count in flats, bottles, or cans as you normally would; the system converts to recipe units for you behind the scenes.
- Lines save automatically as you enter them. It's safe to pause, hand the device to someone else, or have several people count different sections at the same time.
Tip: Because counting is mobile-friendly and auto-saving, split a big count across staff — one person on the bar, another in dry storage — all into the same sheet.
Blind counts
With blind count on, the expected on-hand quantity is hidden while staff enter numbers. This keeps counts honest — people record what they actually see instead of matching the number on the screen. Managers can still review variance after the count is committed.
Committing the count
- When every line is entered, click Commit.
- Inventory sets each item's on-hand to your counted numbers and records the variance (the difference from what was expected).
- Any sales that happened while you were counting are reconciled automatically, so the committed number stays accurate.
After committing
- On-hand quantities update immediately, which can also change dish availability (see Auto-86).
- The variance between two counts feeds the Variance report — see Reports & Dashboards.
Good to know: On-hand can occasionally show a negative number if sales outran the last count. This is normal — your next count corrects it to the real, physical quantity.
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