Friday night: more guests, and the fridge is empty

It's Friday, 8:30 p.m. The tables are full, the kitchen is keeping up with orders, and a waiter heads to the bar for another drink.

There are two bottles left in the fridge. The order is for six.

A familiar scene begins: one person checks the storeroom, another calls the branch next door, a third tries to find the supplier's number. The guest is simply waiting for dinner.

Preparing for this moment starts much earlier — with the sales of previous days, accurate stock records and a clear owner for restocking.

First, find out where the product actually ran out

An empty fridge doesn't always mean the restaurant is out of the drink.

The product may be in the storeroom but nobody moved it in time. It may have just arrived and not be chilled yet. Or the system shows stock that doesn't match reality.

These are different problems with different fixes:

• The fridge is empty but the storeroom has stock — who was supposed to restock the fridge, and when.
• The product is there but not ready to serve — when it was moved into the fridge.
• The system says yes, the shelf says no — receipts, sales, write-offs and how the balance is calculated.
• The storeroom is empty too — the order quantity, when the order was sent and the delivery lead time.

“We've run out of drinks” is hard to turn into action. First you need to know whether the delivery was late, the records were wrong or restocking was skipped during the shift.

1. Look at past sales for comparable days

Remembering that “we sell a lot on Fridays” is a useful start. Planning an order needs numbers.

Look at sales on previous comparable Fridays by branch, product and hour. Set aside days with special events, promotions or large group visits.

Keep one more thing in mind: if a product ran out halfway through the evening, the sales figure doesn't show the full demand. Selling 60 bottles that day may simply mean you only had 60 bottles.

It also helps to record when the shortage started, what was offered instead and whether guests accepted it.

That way next week's plan is based on a fuller picture.

2. Work out how much you need until the next delivery

Restocking isn't only about tonight. You need to know how long the current stock has to last.

Take into account:

• the date of the next confirmed delivery,
• expected sales until then,
• reservations and orders already accepted,
• a buffer for swings in demand,
• quantities already ordered that will arrive in time.

Here is a simple example.

You expect to sell 90 bottles before the next delivery. You have decided to keep a buffer of 18 more. Usable stock is 35 bottles, and a confirmed delivery will bring another 20 in time.

By this calculation, the extra quantity you need is:

90 + 18 − 35 − 20 = 53 bottles.

Then adjust the quantity to the supplier's packaging, order terms and your storage space.

Choose the buffer based on how much your sales vary and how reliable deliveries are. Using the same percentage for every product can create a shortage in one place and excess stock in another.

3. Plan fridge restocking separately

Enough stock in the storeroom doesn't mean the service point is ready for a busy evening.

Before the shift, check:

• how many ready-to-serve drinks are in the fridge,
• whether the range matches the orders you expect,
• when the next restock is planned,
• who keeps an eye on it during the shift.

Set check times that fit your rhythm — for example before the evening rush and during it, with regular checks by the person responsible.

The “whoever is free restocks” rule usually runs into the defining feature of a Friday night: nobody is free.

4. Confirm the order with the supplier, don't just send it

Sending a message is not a confirmed delivery.

The restaurant and the drinks supplier must understand the same thing:

• which product was ordered,
• in what packaging and quantity,
• which branch it is going to,
• when the delivery is scheduled,
• what to do if the product isn't available.

It is especially important to tell apart a bottle, a pack and a crate. “Bring ten” is a very short message, and the way it gets interpreted can be expensive.

Record confirmed changes in the order too. If the supplier called to say they will deliver less, that information must also reach the people responsible for the shift and for purchasing.

5. In a restaurant chain, look at each branch separately

The chain's total stock may be enough while a particular location runs out.

One branch has more family visits, another more delivery orders, a third more evening groups. So restocking every branch with the same quantity doesn't always match their demand.

Compare for each location:

• sales volume and peak hours,
• current stock,
• expected orders and reservations,
• the next delivery.

A transfer between branches can help if it can be organised in time. Record the transfer on both sides so that stock that has physically moved doesn't keep “living” at the old address in your records.

6. Agree on what to do when something runs out

Even with good planning, surprises happen. The team should know in advance how to react.

Agree on:

1. Who confirms that there really is a shortage.
2. Who checks whether other branches or the supplier can help.
3. Who updates the product's availability in every order channel (menu, kiosk, delivery apps).
4. What alternative the waiter may offer, with the guest's agreement.
5. Where the incident is recorded for later review.

Tell the guest about a shortage before the order is confirmed, if you already know about it. That way they can choose without waiting for something that can't be served.

How TM Hub can help

All of this rests on accessible information about orders, sales, stock and who is responsible for what.

The order, inventory and multi-branch features of TM Hub described on the website can be the foundation for organising that data. And for restaurant work, the TM Hub ecosystem also includes LilX. The right solution and settings should be chosen to fit your process.

For example, you need to agree in advance who records goods received, how movements are tracked and when the person responsible checks the balance.

System data is only useful when it is updated on time. If a delivery arrived but wasn't recorded, or stock was moved without a record, the number on the screen may not match reality.

Before Friday — a short checklist

• We have looked at sales on comparable days and at past shortages.
• We have taken reservations, events and promotions into account.
• We have checked actual stock and expected deliveries.
• The fridge holds ready stock for the expected flow of guests.
• The supplier has confirmed the product, quantity, address and time.
• Someone is responsible for restocking during the shift.
• The team knows what to do if something runs out.

On a well-prepared Friday night the team is busy with guests, orders and service — and finding the last two bottles doesn't become a joint project for the whole staff.

Want to get your restaurant's or chain's orders and stock data in order? Contact the TM Hub team to discuss a solution that fits the way you work.