Overview

If you have ever looked at your upcoming orders and started hand-tallying, “How many pounds of Pulled Pork does my kitchen need to make for tomorrow?” CaterZen’s Kitchen Production Formulas do that math for you.

CaterZen takes the Pulled Pork needed for sandwiches sold by the each, Pulled Pork selected in packages, and Pulled Pork sold by the pound à la carte, then combines everything into one total amount for the kitchen to prepare. No calculator needed!

The easiest way to understand Kitchen Production is to follow this flow:

Menu Item → Kitchen Production Formula → Prep Item → Production Report

• The Menu Item is what the Customer orders.

• The Kitchen Production Formula performs the math.

• The Prep Item is what your kitchen makes, pulls, portions, or packs.

• The Production Report displays the calculated quantities your team needs.

Kitchen Production Formulas are not recipes. CaterZen does not need the cooking instructions your kitchen already knows. The Formula takes what was ordered and determines what your kitchen needs to prepare and how much.

Your Formulas can be as simple or as detailed as your kitchen needs. One kitchen may only need to see 1 full-size pan of Garden Salad, while another may want the salad broken down into lettuce, toppings, dressing, and other components.

Start with the finished production quantity your team needs. Add more detail only when it makes the Production Report more useful.

A Simple Example

Suppose a Customer orders a Classic BBQ Buffet for 20 people. The package is sold per person and includes:

• a choice of one or two meats: Pulled Pork and Chicken;
• a choice of two sides: Mac & Cheese and Baked Beans;
• Bread; and
• Garden Salad.

For this order, the Customer selects both meats and both sides. The kitchen formulas calculate:

The Menu Item controls what the Customer orders. The formulas calculate those production quantities. The Prep Items give the kitchen clear, familiar names, and the Production Report organizes the results.

The quantities above are examples only. Your formulas should reflect your own portions, containers, yields, and kitchen procedures.

1. Menu Items: What the Customer Orders

Menu Items are the products, packages, platters, and add-ons available during order entry or online ordering.

How the Menu Item is sold determines how its production formula should be written. Before building a formula, confirm whether the item is sold:

• by each;
• by the person;
• by the pound;
• by the gallon;
• by the pan; or
• as one fixed package.

For example, a gallon of lemonade sold individually may require a simple formula of 1 gallon for every 1 ordered. Lemonade included in a per-person beverage package may instead require 1 gallon for every 12 people ordered.

Always confirm the Menu Item shown on the formula screen before adding or editing a formula. This helps prevent a formula from being attached to the wrong item when you are working through several menu items at once.

In the Classic BBQ Buffet example, the package is sold per person. Bread and Garden Salad are automatically included, while the meats and sides are connected to the choices the Customer makes.

2. Prep Items: What the Kitchen Produces

Prep Items should use the language your kitchen team already uses. A Customer-facing Menu Item might be called “Grandma Susie’s Summertime Lemonade,” while the kitchen simply calls the Prep Item “Lemonade.” Customers do not see Prep Item names.

Create each Prep Item only once. After it has been created, search for and select the existing Prep Item whenever it is needed in another formula.

For example, the same Bottled Water Prep Item can be used:

• in an à la carte formula for 1 bottle per 1 ordered;
• in a beverage package for 0.5 bottle per person; and
• as an option in a box lunch.

The formulas may be different, but the kitchen is still pulling the same Bottled Water. Reusing one Prep Item allows CaterZen to combine all the quantities into one accurate production total.

Creating duplicate Prep Items can split those totals across multiple lines and make reports difficult to trust.

For the Classic BBQ Buffet, Pulled Pork, Chicken, Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans, Bread, and Garden Salad should each be created as a reusable Prep Item. If any of them already exists, select the existing Prep Item instead of creating it again.

3. Kitchen Production Formulas: The Math Between the Order and the Kitchen

A Kitchen Production Formula tells CaterZen how much of a Prep Item is needed for the quantity ordered.

Write the formula as a sentence before entering it:

For every 20 people ordered, prepare 1 full-size pan of Garden Salad.

The formula builder then captures:

• the Prep Item;
• the quantity to prepare;
• the unit of measure;
• the quantity ordered that triggers the calculation;
• the rounding rule;
• the Prep Station; and
• the Food Prep Category.

Simple formulas

A simple item without choices usually uses a formula under General Prep Items.

Examples:

• 1 piece of Bread for every 1 person ordered
• 1 full-size pan of Garden Salad for every 20 people ordered

Formulas for options and modifiers

When a Menu Item includes selectable choices, build the formula under the appropriate option, extra, or topping choice. Only the formulas connected to the Customer’s selections should calculate for the order.

The Menu Item’s option settings also affect the result. Depending on its Multiplicity or Quantity Field settings, CaterZen may:

• divide one total quantity among the selected choices;
• give every selected choice the full formula quantity; or
• calculate from quantities entered for each choice.

Review those Menu Manager settings whenever a modifier formula does not calculate as expected.

The Classic BBQ Buffet demonstrates both common multiplicity methods:

• Meat Choice — Divide Quantities: The Customer may select one or two meats. The formula provides 6 ounces of total meat per person. If one meat is selected, that meat receives the full 6 ounces per person. If Pulled Pork and Chicken are both selected, CaterZen divides the total so the kitchen prepares 3 ounces of each meat per person.
• Side Choice — Full Quantity: The Customer selects two sides. Each selected side receives its full formula quantity. Mac & Cheese and Baked Beans are each calculated at 1 quart for every 6 people.

Rounding

Use rounding only when it reflects how the kitchen actually produces the item.

A true 1-to-1 item normally does not need rounding. Calculated weights, pans, bowls, or containers may need to round to a practical increment such as a quarter pound, half pound, whole bowl, or whole pan.

Test the results at several order quantities before applying the same rounding approach throughout the menu.

In the Classic BBQ Buffet example, 20 people require 3.33 quarts of each selected side. Rounding to the nearest ½ quart tells the kitchen to prepare 3.5 quarts of Mac & Cheese and 3.5 quarts of Baked Beans. The two selected meats calculate to 3.75 pounds each. Rounding up to the nearest whole pound tells the kitchen to prepare 4 pounds of Pulled Pork and 4 pounds of Chicken.

4. Production Reports: Turning Formulas Into Action

Different reports support different kitchen workflows.

Food Prep Report

Use the Food Prep Report for one order when your kitchen prefers items organized by Food Prep Category.

Order Production Report

Use the Order Production Report for one order when your team works by Prep Station.

Kitchen Production Report

Use the original Kitchen Production Report when your team needs the complete order structure, including Menu Items, packages, modifiers, Open Menu Items, and calculated Prep Items.

V2 Kitchen Production Report

Use the V2 Kitchen Production Report for a streamlined, formula-driven list of Prep Items. It can display individual orders, combined totals, or both. This is especially useful for daily prep, multi-day production, and purchasing.

Menu Items without formulas and Open Menu Items do not appear as production quantities on the V2 report, so formulas should be tested before relying on it as the kitchen’s only view.

Tablet Production Report

Use the Tablet Production Report when the kitchen needs a live production view, station filtering, batch totals, special instructions, and progress tracking as items move through preparation and completion.

Recommended Setup Process

Kitchen Production does not need to be built for the entire menu at once. Start with a small, representative group of items.

• Choose one frequently ordered package and one simple à la carte item.
• Confirm how each Menu Item is sold.
• List what the kitchen needs to prepare, pull, or pack.
• Search for existing Prep Items before creating new ones.
• Build the formulas using kitchen-friendly units and names.
• Create one test order using the items you configured.
• Run the Food Prep, Order Production, Kitchen Production, or V2 report.
• Compare the calculated quantities with what the kitchen expected.
• Adjust names, units, stations, categories, or rounding as needed.
• Once the test group works correctly, continue through the rest of the menu.

Testing in small groups makes it easier to find and correct an issue before it affects every item in the menu.

Where to Go Next

Continue with the article that matches what you need to do:

• Prep Items: Create, Name, Organize, and Reuse
• Build a Simple Kitchen Production Formula
• Build Kitchen Production Formulas for Options and Modifiers
• Choose and Run the Right Kitchen Production Report

You may also find these related guides helpful:

• Menu Options: Multiplicity Settings for Options
• Menu Manager: Enable Quantity Fields for Options + Mix and Match Options
• Tablet Production Report
• Kitchen Prep Item Label Sheet
• Supplier Ordering Report
• Custom Production Reports

If you would like help planning your Kitchen Production setup or building your formulas, schedule a Kitchen Production training session with Jill.

Need Help Building Your Kitchen Production Workflow?

If you would like help deciding which reports your kitchen should use or reviewing your Kitchen Production setup, book a Kitchen Production session with Jill Hammett.

Support

For additional help, refer to the CaterZen Support Center or contact our CaterZen Support Team.

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