Chapter 9. Lesson 7: Order & Recieve Food

The process we use to order food is straightforward.

1. Conduct an inventory to find out which products need to be ordered.
2. Complete the food order paperwork
3. Ensure you have buffers
4. Order the food
5. Receive the food
6. Store it properly

Par levels are simply the level of inventory that you need on hand to cover your sales as well as have enough inventory until the next delivery. Par levels are used to avoid the problem of having too much or too little. Too much can spoil and end up on the waste sheet, which is very expensive.  On the other hand, too little can create lost sales and disappointed guests.

In building Par levels, you should ask the following questions:

1. How much do we have on hand of a specific item?
2. How many will we sell until the next delivery?
3. How many do we want to have on hand until the next delivery?
4. When is the next delivery?

For example: We have 40 Raw Greens on hand; we’re going to sell 40 until the next delivery; we want to have 40 on hand when the delivery arrives; the next delivery is tomorrow.  My par is 80, which breaks out to 40 units to cover my sales today and I want 40 units on hand when the delivery arrives tomorrow.

Buffers are extra amounts of certain products that prevent you from running out of food prematurely. Include buffers for high-selling items when you calculate your food order needs. As you get more familiar with your store, you’ll be able to identify how much product you need to order over a week, month and a year. For example, during the summer heat, you sell five times as many smoothies as you do during the winter.  You hear that the following week will be extra hot, so order two or three extra cases of fruit to make up the projected increase in sales.

If you discover that the delivery contains product than what was ordered:

• If it is an attended delivery, notify the delivery driver immediately.
• If it is not an attended delivery, call the supplier immediately and explain the shortage.
• It is extremely important to rectify incorrect orders immediately, whether it is with the driver upon delivery, or with your supplier via phone and email.
• date (moldy, discolored, bloated or unpleasant smell).

If you or your Team notice a quality issue with one of your products, notify the supplier. If the supplier is one of the required vendors and there are repeated quality issues, notify the corporate office.

Be prepared to provide the following information:

• Store number
• Product name
• Detailed description of the product quality issue
• Invoice number on the purchase order
• Item number
• Quantity of the product involved
• Code date of the product involved

Check produce daily and use only product that meets Raw Juce standards.

Note:

• Unprepared Product (total) Shelf Life refers to the product’s shelf life from date of manufacture in its original packaging, not from when the product arrives in the store
• Prepared Product refers to product that has been opened, sliced, cut, thawed, mixed or heated
• Prepared product with a two-day shelf life must be discarded at the end of the next day, regardless of prep time

• Ensure that the product code number/date is on the product label.
• If the product code number/date is on the box the product came in, transfer the information to the product itself with a marker before removing the product from the box and storing.

• Use the First In First Out (FIFO) rotation system.
• Date all items with a marker as they enter the store.
• Weigh, record as waste on the Weekly Waste Chart, and discard any inventory item that is beyond its shelf life, expiration date or use-by date.

• Stock similar items behind one another.
• Face product Labeling tape and marker forward when storing.
• Stock new product to the rear or below any product that is still available from a previous delivery.
• Only stack items if they are in containers strong and sturdy enough to allow stacking without compromising their contents.
• Stack only similar items.

• Store items in their boxes as much as possible.
• Immediately break down and discard emptied boxes.
• When storing portion-control packages and small individual items, store them in their shipping containers with the tops cut off so that the packages are visible.

• Use the First In First Out (FIFO) rotation system.
• Open items that come in multiple packaging, such as sleeves of drinking cups, one package at a time; do not open a second package until the first one is completely used.
• Store all opened food products in covered, labeled containers.
• Weigh, record as waste on the Weekly Waste Chart, and discard any inventory item that is beyond its shelf life, expiration date or use-by date.

• Dry storage temperature should be between 50°F and 70°F (10°C and 22°C.)
• Dry products should be stored in an area away from heat put off by the refrigeration condenser or heating supply ducts.
• When stacking cans, keep each layer level, sturdy and no more than two items high.
• Keep a sturdy step stool available to use when accessing higher shelves.
• Store heavy, large and hard-to-handle items on the middle or bottom shelves.
• Store lighter and smaller items on the middle or upper shelves.
• Store breakable containers on lower shelves.

Raw Juce stores do not need a walk-in cooler. A reach-in refrigerator is sufficient.

• Store refrigerated inventory items in a refrigerator maintained at 35°F – 41°F (2°C – 5°C).
• Never store produce on the top shelf of the refrigerator, it may freeze.
• Never store meats that are packed in a wet-pack and may drip above produce.
• Store meats and produce on separate shelves whenever possible.

Raw Juce stores do not need a large freezer. A simple one- or two-door freezer is sufficient.

• Store frozen inventory items in a freezer maintained at -10°F -0°F (-23°C – -18°C).
• Keep a minimum of two inches between the wall and the stored inventory items for proper air circulation.
• Keep items away from the fan and the condenser to permit proper air circulation.

• Inspect cases for signs of rodent infestation (strong oily odor, droppings, webbing, clumped together food particles and/or holes in cases).
• Store containers, straws, cups and other paper supplies in their original packaging until ready for use.
• Label each box clearly.

• Store cleaning supplies in a common location away from food, utensils and equipment used for food.
• Clearly label all cleaning supplies when stocking and when placing into other containers for application and use.
• Keep chemicals in their original containers or their designated cleaning containers only.
• Collect Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for each chemical used, put them in a three-ring binder marked “MSDS,” and place the binder near the chemical storage area.