A Restaurant Prep List and Mise en Place System

Every kitchen has mise en place. The difference between a smooth service and a scramble is whether it lives in one person's head or on a list that anyone on the team can follow. This is a simple system for building and running a prep list, aimed at small teams. Figures are illustrative examples.

What a prep list is

A prep list names the prepared items needed for service, how much of each, who makes it, and by when. It is built from par levels: the amount of each prepped item you want ready, minus what you already have.

Prep quantity = prep par minus what is on hand

See how to set par levels for how par works for purchased items; prepped items work the same way, based on what you use in service.

Build it from par

For each station, list prepped items with a par, then count what is left at close.

The on-hand column is what makes the list honest. A list copied from last week prepares the same amount whether you need it or not.

Sequence by cook time and hold time

Order the list for the cook, not the station:

1. Longest cook or chill time first: stocks, braises, doughs, anything that needs to cool.
2. Items with the shortest hold last, so they are freshest at service.
3. Shared equipment scheduled so two items are not fighting for one oven.
4. Heavy jobs early while the team is fresh.

Assign it by name

A list with no names becomes a list with no owners. Put a name and a due time on each line. If one cook has ten tasks and another has two, rebalance.

Adjust par for the day

Pars are starting points. Adjust for:

• Day of the week. Look at the same weekday over recent weeks.
• Reservations and events.
• Weather, if it affects your traffic.
• Specials: anything that will use prepped items differently.

Prep to the forecast plus a small cushion, not to the busiest night you can remember. See how to reduce overproduction.

End-of-shift check

At close, the lead:

1. Counts remaining prepped items.
2. Notes what ran out and what was left over.
3. Drafts tomorrow's list or updates par.
4. Labels and dates everything that is kept. See FIFO and rotation.

That three-minute habit is what keeps the list accurate.

Common mistakes

• Copying last week's list.
• No on-hand count, so prep duplicates what exists.
• No due times, so everything starts at the same moment.
• No names.
• Never revising par, even when the menu changes.

Where software can help

A prep list is only as good as the stock counts behind it. ChefMind AI brings your ingredient quantities, recipes and mise en place items into one place; see what it covers under inventory management.

The short version

• Prep quantity = par minus on hand, counted at close.
• Sequence by cook time, assign by name, and put a due time on each task.
• Adjust for the day and review at the end of every shift.