Hotel stores control: a practical guide.
How to set up and run hotel stores: main and department stores, receiving, requisitions and issues, par levels, counts and the leaks to watch.
By the Tivuzo team · Updated
Hotel stores control means every item that enters, moves within or leaves the property is recorded: deliveries received against the purchase order into the main store, issues to the kitchen, bar, housekeeping and maintenance on a requisition, sales and usage in each department, and regular counts that compare what should be there with what is. Set par or reorder levels per store, rotate stock first-in-first-out, and investigate every variance.
Main store and department stores
| Store | Holds | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Main store | Dry goods, drinks by the case, amenities, chemicals | Monthly, high-value items weekly |
| Cold room | Meat, fish, dairy, vegetables | Weekly |
| Kitchen | Stock in use on the line | Weekly |
| Bar | Open and full bottles, mixers | Weekly or daily for spirits |
| Housekeeping | Amenities, toilet paper, chemicals, linen | Monthly |
| Maintenance | Spares, bulbs, paint, fuel | Monthly |
Fewer stores are easier to control. But each department that consumes stock should have its own, so usage is visible per department and nobody can say "it was the other team".
The flow
- ReceiveAgainst the purchase order: count, weigh, check quality and dates, reject what is wrong.
- StoreLabel with the delivery date; new stock behind old (first in, first out).
- RequisitionThe department asks for what it needs on a requisition, signed by its head.
- IssueThe storekeeper issues the stock and records it; the store balances move.
- Use or sellThe kitchen produces, the bar sells, housekeeping stocks the rooms.
- CountCount, compare with the records, investigate the difference, then post it.
Par levels and reorder points
Par level: the quantity a department store should hold, topped up on each issue. Reorder point: the main store quantity that triggers a purchase order. A simple reorder point is average daily use × days until the next delivery + a safety margin. For a lodge with a weekly supply run: use per day × 7 days + 2 days spare.
| Item | Use per day | Lead time | Safety | Reorder at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice (kg) | 12 | 7 days | 2 days | 108 kg |
| Cooking oil (L) | 4 | 7 days | 2 days | 36 L |
| Toilet paper (rolls) | 30 | 7 days | 3 days | 300 rolls |
Counts and variance
Variance = counted quantity − expected quantity. Small variances happen; patterns are what matter: the same item short every week, a store that is always short after one shift, a high-value item that "evaporates". Count blind (without seeing the expected figure), with two people for high-value stores, and post the result so it reaches the accounts.
- Count at the same time each period, before deliveries
- Count blind, with two people for high-value stores
- Investigate before posting large differences
- Record waste and breakage when it happens, not at the count
- Compare variance by store and by item over time
Where stock leaks
- Deliveries signed for without counting
- Stores left open, or keys shared
- Issues without a requisition
- Waste not recorded, so it looks like theft (or theft looks like waste)
- Staff meals taken from guest stock
In Tivuzo
Each store is a location with its own quantities, reorder levels and counts. Receipts, issues, transfers, sales and waste are recorded as they happen, counts show the difference before posting, and the stock value and variance post to the accounts. See inventory and stores, food cost and bar stock control.
Stores control questions
How often should hotel stores be counted?
Bar weekly (spirits even daily), kitchen and cold room weekly, main store monthly, with high-value items more often.
What is a requisition in a hotel?
A department's written request to the stores for items it needs, signed by the department head.
What is par stock?
The standard quantity a department store should hold, topped up to that level on each issue.
Who should run the stores?
A storekeeper who doesn't also order or pay, so receiving and issuing are independent.
Last updated by the Tivuzo team.