How to Create a Restaurant Order Form Using Excel

By Kenrick Callwood

Restaurant order forms may serve as perpetual inventory tracking sheets and ordering request forms if designed correctly. These forms are at the heart of good restaurant management. Order forms control the different aspects of the business and allow the managerial staff to quickly review and control the day to day tasks of running the business. Restaurant order forms are usually created in spreadsheet programs and then printed out for the person responsible for ordering to fill out as necessary.

Set Up the Spreadsheet

Step 1

Open Microsoft Excel or equivalent program on your computer from the "Start" menu or desktop icon.

Step 2

Merge the first 3 rows of each of the first 5 columns. In Microsoft Excel, click the left mouse button and highlight the first 3 rows of column A, then click the "Merge and Center" button located in the "Alignment" group of the "Home" tab. Repeat this process for columns B through E.

Step 3

Merge rows 2 and 3 of columns F through AI using the same procedure as above. Leave row 1 of these columns on the default setting.

Step 4

Merge rows 4 through 6 in columns A, B, and D with the "Merge and Center" button. Repeat this process to combine each subsequent set of 3 rows in the indicated columns

Step 5

Merge rows 5 and 6 in column C. Follow this pattern for rows 8 and 9, 11 and 12, and so on; skipping one row between each set you merge.

Fill in the Data

Step 1

Type the heading "Item" in the first cell of column A. You may add standard items in the subsequent cells or leave them blank if you prefer that each item be filled in by hand. Most users choose to fill in the items that must always be on hand as well as leaving some rows blank for miscellaneous items. Include the unit weight and delivery quantity in the description. For example, "Flour- 50 pound sack."

Step 2

Type the heading "Units" in column B. This column is used to describe the unit of measurement for each item listed in the first column such as can or sack.

Step 3

Type "Supplier/Price" in column C. This column shows who the item is ordered from and how much the item costs.

Step 4

Use the heading "Quantity/Unit of Measurement" for column D. This column lists how many if the item described in the first column arrive in each purchase. For example, an order of corn starch may come as 24 one-pound boxes so your column would show "24 boxes".

Step 5

Type the heading "Par" for column E. This column shows the ideal stock quantities for weekday operation in row 4. Row 5 is used to define the weekend for your particular restaurant. For example, "Thurs, Fri, Sat" or "Fri, Sat, Sun" depending on which days require more stock. The weekend par quantity is listed in row 6.

Step 6

Write the word "Date" in the first row of column F. Skip down to row 4 and type "Beginning," then type "Purchase" in row 5 and "Out" in row 6. The "Beginning" heading coincides with the weekly stock count to determine the products on hand. The "Purchase" row is used to make an order and the "Out" row shows how much of the item was used in a given day.

Step 7

Use row 1 and the combined rows 2 and 3 to list the dates and days of the week respectively in columns K through AI. This changes each month so you may leave these rows blank if you wish.

Step 8

Click on the "Insert" tab in Microsoft Excel and click "Header and Footer." Type a header for your order form that describes the type of form, department, and month. For example, Order Form, Meat Department, January of 2011.

Step 9

Press "CTRL+S" on your keyboard to save your order form. Choose the location to save the file and click the "Save" button.

References

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