Receiving & Inventory / Par: the full procedure
Check deliveries, rotate beans/milk/pastries FIFO, and reorder to par so the bar never runs out mid-rush.
- Applies to: Lead / manager.
- Frequency: Receiving each delivery; counts weekly (perishables more often).
- Scope: Covers receiving and inventory/par. Cold-chain acceptance follows ServSafe / local code.
What you need
- Invoices
- Inventory count sheet
- Par / reorder list
The procedure, step by step
- Check deliveries against the invoice — Verify quantity, quality, and dates against the order; inspect perishables and reject anything wrong before signing.
- Store and rotate FIFO — Put away promptly, oldest-to-front: rotate milk and pastries by date, and beans by roast date (espresso has a freshness window).
- Set par and reorder points — Set a par (target on-hand) and reorder point per item based on usage and lead time.
- Count on a cadence — Count weekly (perishables/expiry more often), the same way each time, and check for expiring stock.
- Order to usage — Reorder to par at the reorder point, driven by real usage rather than habit; minimize spoilage.
Quality check before you finish
- Deliveries checked vs invoice (qty/quality/dates).
- Stored promptly; FIFO by date / roast date.
- Par + reorder points set per item.
- Counted on cadence; expiry checked.
- Reordered to par from usage.
This is a free, source-anchored standard operating procedure (SOP) you can print and hand to staff. It documents the work sequence for a Coffee Shop business — not safety or regulatory rulings, which defer to the cited authorities, the applicable code, and your own health-and-safety plan. Open the tool above to print it, toggle ink-saver, or (with a free ToolFluency Business account) edit it to match your own workflow.
Sources
- WebstaurantStore — FIFO Inventory Method (receiving) (webstaurantstore.com)
- Thrive Metrics — Coffee Shop Inventory (thrivemetrics.com)
- Toast — Coffee Shop Inventory Best Practices (pos.toasttab.com)
About Free Cafe Receiving & Inventory SOP
Free printable cafe receiving and inventory SOP: check deliveries against the invoice, rotate beans/milk/pastries FIFO, and reorder to par so you never run out mid-rush.
How to use
- Read the full procedure top to bottom before the work — the SOP runs in order and each step builds on the last.
- Toggle Ink-saver (black & white) for a cheaper mono print for the binder; leave it off for the full-color version.
- Click Print SOP to print or save as PDF. Print one per crew, laminate it for the binder, or attach it to the job in your scheduling system.
- Train new hires on it and have staff sign off. Found something out of date? Use the feedback link — flagged SOPs are re-researched against the source list.
Frequently asked questions
How should a cafe manage inventory?
Check deliveries against the invoice, store and rotate FIFO (especially milk and pastries by date, and beans by roast date), set par levels and reorder points per item, and order to usage. The SOP keeps the bar from running out of milk or beans during a rush.
Why track roast dates on beans?
Espresso tastes best in a window after roasting (too fresh degasses unevenly; too old goes flat), so rotating by roast date and ordering to turnover keeps the coffee in its sweet spot — part of the receiving/rotation SOP.
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