Playbook

Waste Audit & Reduction Experiment Planner

Run focused, measurable waste audits by source, use short observation scripts, run hypothesis-driven control vs test experiments, and convert verified reductions into durable ordering, prep, and recipe rules so savings persist without harming service or safety. Use the interactive planner to capture baseline audits, run experiments, and keep a decision record linked to shifts and sales context.

Interactive Tool

Waste Audit & Reduction Planner (Interactive)

Welcome — why this playbook matters

Waste quietly erodes margin and morale. This interactive planner helps you find where waste actually happens, run short consistent audits, test practical fixes with hypothesis-driven experiments, measure results against sales or covers, and lock winning changes into par levels, prep rules, and SOPs so savings persist without breaking service.

Name the restaurant, site, or pilot (e.g., Main St. Kitchen — Waste Pilot May)
YYYY-MM-DD or shift/date (e.g., 2026-05-12, Dinner)
Person responsible for this submission
List who worked the shift or who helped collect data (e.g., head chef, PM shift lead, FOH manager)
Check all that apply; you'll provide basic observations per source below.
Only fill if you selected Other
Use this group to capture one source. Duplicate in next fields for up to 3 sources if needed.
Short script: what you will count/weight and when (e.g., weigh trim containers at end of shift)
e.g., lbs, portions, units, $ value
e.g., 3 shifts across AM/PM/weekend or daily for 7 days
Context such as typical causes or linked logs
7–14 days recommended; include weekday/weekend mix
e.g., 3 non-consecutive lunch shifts and 3 dinner shifts
Recommended: yes
Used to normalize waste per cover; pull from POS
Optional; helps calculate $ waste per revenue
Record how you convert weight to cost (ingredient cost, contribution margin, etc.) and any assumptions
Complete the fields below for your experiment template. Keep changes specific and train staff before starting.
Example: If we reduce hot-hold batch size by 20% during dinner rush, then hot-hold discard weight will drop by >=25% with no increase in ticket time or remakes.
e.g., lbs waste/day, $ waste/week, remakes per 100 tickets. Be explicit about units.
Recommend 7–14 days per leg for stable comparisons; 3–7 days for quick low-risk checks
Numeric threshold or percent reduction plus allowable service impact (e.g., >=20% waste reduction and <5% rise in remakes)
List quality, safety, or service risks and how you'll monitor them
Link to worksheet or describe file/form location; include frequency
Optional if you collect weight by source—capture whatever you measured
Use your ingredient cost conversion
Record computed metric such as lbs per cover or $ waste per $100 revenue. Include formula used.
Summarize findings comparing control vs test, normalized metrics, statistical or practical significance, and any service impacts observed
If Adopt: specify exact new par numbers, recipe changes, prep timing, owner, and effective date.
Person responsible for updating SOPs and training
e.g., weekly quick-checks for 4 weeks, then monthly audits. Specify who and how often.
YYYY-MM-DD
Recommended: yes
YYYY-MM-DD
Paste file links, folder paths, or note where backups are stored
Must be true before adopting changes
Typed name confirms accuracy of entry
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