Restaurant waste log: free template and how to track waste
By mise · Updated September 29, 2026
Quick answer: a waste log records every item thrown away with date, quantity, unit, reason (spoiled, overproduction, prep trim, dropped, returned, comp), station and who logged it, valued at cost. Review it weekly: the top three items by cost usually explain most of the gap between theoretical and actual food cost.
Waste you don't write down becomes a mystery in your food cost. A simple log, kept at the station, turns it into a list of things you can fix.
Download the template
Download the free waste log template (CSV — opens in Excel and Google Sheets)
In the UK the same record is usually called a wastage sheet; the columns are identical.
The reasons worth tracking
| Reason | What it usually points to |
|---|---|
| Spoiled / expired | Over-ordering, poor rotation (FIFO), fridge problems |
| Overproduction | Prep pars too high for the day's covers |
| Prep trim | Yield lower than the recipe assumes — check the yield factor |
| Dropped / burnt | Training, rush periods, equipment |
| Returned by guest | Recipe or execution issues |
| Comp / staff meal | Needs to be recorded, not hidden in cost |
Getting staff to actually use it
- Keep it where the waste happens — a clipboard at each station, or on the phone.
- Make it fast: item, quantity, reason. The cost can be filled in later.
- Never punish honest entries. The goal is data, not blame.
- Review it every week with the team and act on the top items.
From waste log to food cost
Add the week's waste value and divide by food purchases: under 3–5% is a healthy range. When actual food cost is higher than the recipes predict, the waste log explains the first part of the gap; the rest is portioning, recipe drift or theft.
In mise waste is entered as an outgoing movement with a reason per item (waste, staff meal, breakage), so it comes off the stock on hand and shows up in the reports by reason and by product.
Point the camera and the product comes up complete: name, brand, category, size and photo — the mise AI finds it from the barcode or a photo. 7-day free trial, no card.
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Frequently asked questions
What should a food waste log include?
Date, item, quantity and unit, reason, station, who logged it and the cost. Reasons are the most useful part: they tell you what to fix.
How much food waste is normal in a restaurant?
Around 3–5% of food purchases is a common benchmark. Much higher usually means over-ordering or overproduction.
Is staff food waste?
It is a cost that must be recorded, but track it as its own reason so it doesn't hide real waste.