Overview: What to Make, Not How to Make It


Most people think of creating Kitchen Production Formulas like writing a recipe. For example, a recipe for a full pan of lasagna might include lasagna noodles, marinara sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and step-by-step instructions like boiling water and cooking noodles for twelve minutes.


But a Kitchen Production Formula is different. It assumes your kitchen already knows how to make the food — what it needs to know is how much to make.


This is where Prep Items come in. Prep Items define the ingredients (and quantities) required to fulfill catering orders without bogging your team down in cooking instructions. Whether it’s a cookie platter or five gallons of baked beans, the Prep Items you set up in CaterZen tell your team what to prep, not how to make it.


Key thing to remember: You are not creating the formula for the Prep Item itself. You are using the Prep Item when building formulas for each of your Menu Items.


For example, if your Prep Item is Bacon:

You only have one type of Bacon in your kitchen, but you sell it in many different ways.

  • A simple breakfast package may include 2 slices per person.

  • A larger package may include 3 slices per person.

  • A set package for 30 people may include 45 slices in total.

  • An à la carte order may sell Bacon by the pound, where the formula calls for 1 pound for every pound sold.


In each case, it’s the same Prep Item, but the formulas are unique to each Menu Item you sell.


Prep Items allow you to:

  • Standardize kitchen instructions

  • Reuse the same ingredients across different menu items

  • Automate production reporting

 

Use "Kitchen Talk"

Use terminology your kitchen staff already uses. If you sell pasta salad, is it referred to as “Pasta Salad,” “Greek Pasta Salad,” “Mom’s Pasta Salad,” or simply “P Salad”?


When naming Prep Items, stick to the language your team uses daily. Remember: Your customers will never see these Prep Item names - they are strictly for your kitchen team.

Search for or Create Prep Items

When building your Kitchen Production Formulas, you’ll need to either search for an existing Prep Item or create a new one.


Search for your Prep Item 

  •  Go to Admin > Configure Kitchen and Production Report Settings > Build a Kitchen Production Report 
  •  In the dropdown box labeled PLEASE CHOOSE, type in the Prep Item you want.

    • Example: Searching for Fruit Salad. Since it already exists as a Prep Item, it will show up in the list with PREP in front. 

    • Don’t select anything labeled Menu Item or Option - only choose items marked Prep. 

       
  •  If it exists, simply click on it and use it to build your formula.  


Create a new Prep Item 

  •  If the Prep Item has not been created yet, you may only see Menu Item or Option results.

  • Example: Searching for French Toast. Since it doesn’t appear as a Prep Item, you would type “French Toast” and click the blue Prep button to create it for the first time.  

     

Once created, the new Prep Item will be available for use across multiple formulas. Next time you need it, just search and click - no need to recreate it.



Editing Prep Item Name

To update an existing Prep Item you have already created:

  • Go to Admin > Kitchen Production > Prep Items

      

  • On the right side, click on the PREP ITEMS section

       

  • Find the Prep Item you wish to edit and click Edit Item

        

  • Update/Edit the Prep Item name

      

  • Scroll all the way down and Click Save This Information

  • You will now see the updated Prep Item Name. 

  • Click "Click Here" in the yellow warning box to clear your cache. 

     

  • Be cautious when renaming a Prep Item already tied to formulas. Anywhere this Prep Item is use the name will be updated.



Conclusion

Prep Items are the building blocks behind every Kitchen Production Formula in CaterZen. They tell your kitchen what to prep and how much, without bogging the team down in step-by-step recipes.


Once your Prep Items are set up, CaterZen can automatically total and organize them across multiple reports - from Food Prep and Production Reports to Supplier ordering and Tablet views.


To learn how Prep Items power each type of report, see:
Kitchen Production Reports Overview


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

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