Inventory Control for Taquerias: Complete Guide 2025

"We're out of tortillas."

Five words no taqueria owner wants to hear at 9 PM on a Friday, with the line reaching around the corner.

Or worse: discovering on Monday that you have 33 lbs of meat that nobody will buy before it goes bad.

Inventory control isn't about filling out a pretty Excel sheet. It's the difference between making money and losing it.

In this complete guide, I'll teach you exactly how to implement an inventory system that works in your taqueria, whether you have one location or five.

What is Inventory Control (Really)?

Inventory control is knowing at all times:

1. What you have (tortillas, meat, vegetables, disposables)
2. How much you have (11 lbs, 200 tortillas, 50 plates)
3. How much you need (for today, tomorrow, the weekend)
4. When to buy (before running out of stock)
5. How much is being wasted (shrinkage, theft, expiration)

It's not rocket science. But 70% of taquerias do it wrong or simply don't do it.

Why is it So Important in Taquerias?

Unlike other businesses, in taquerias:

1. Products are highly perishable

Meat lasts 2-3 days maximum. Tortillas dry out in hours. Avocados ripen in a day.

You can't buy for the whole month like a clothing store.

2. Demand is unpredictable

Monday you sell 300 tacos. Friday 800. The day of the soccer game 1,200.

Without control, you either buy too much (and lose money on waste) or buy too little (and lose sales).

3. Inventory is your working capital

If you have $3,600 USD in stagnant inventory, that's $3,600 USD not in your pocket.

Each day it goes unsold, you're losing:

• The opportunity cost (that money could be earning interest)
• The risk of expiration
• Storage costs (refrigerator electricity, space)

4. It's where most money "disappears"

According to restaurant industry studies:

• 4-10% of inventory is lost to natural shrinkage
• 2-5% to employee theft
• 5-8% to over-portioning (giving more than you should)

That's 15% of your inventory. In a taqueria buying $7,200 USD per month, that's $1,080 USD evaporating.

The 3 Types of Inventory in a Taqueria

1. Perishable Inventory (High Turnover)

Includes:

• Meats and proteins
• Tortillas
• Vegetables (onion, cilantro, tomato, avocado)
• Dairy (cheese, cream)
• Fruits (limes, pineapple)

Purchase frequency: Daily or every 2-3 days

Control method: FIFO (First In, First Out)

Goal: Minimum stock possible without running out

2. Semi-Perishable Inventory (Medium Turnover)

Includes:

• Oils and fats
• Spices and seasonings
• Bottled sauces
• Dried chiles
• Beans, rice

Purchase frequency: Weekly or biweekly

Control method: Reorder level

Goal: Maintain 1-2 weeks of stock

3. Non-Perishable Inventory (Low Turnover)

Includes:

• Disposables (plates, cups, napkins)
• Bags
• Cleaning products
• Aluminum foil, film
• Gas

Purchase frequency: Biweekly or monthly

Control method: Safety stock

Goal: Never run out, buy wholesale to save

The 5-Step Inventory Control System

Step 1: Initial Inventory (Physical Count)

Before implementing any system, you need to know exactly what you have.

How to do it:

1. Close the taqueria one day (or do it before opening)

2. Count EVERYTHING physically:

   • Weigh meats (in lbs and oz)
   • Count tortillas (or weigh the package)
   • Count vegetables (by piece or weight)
   • Count disposables (by package or unit)

3. Record in a sheet:

Product: Carne Asada
Quantity: 27.5 lbs
Unit cost: $13/lb
Total value: $357.50
Location: Refrigerator 1
Expiration date: Nov-11-2025

Estimated time: 2-4 hours for average taqueria

Frequency: Complete inventory at least once a month

Step 2: Record Inputs (Purchases)

Every time you buy something, record it IMMEDIATELY.

Information to capture:

• Purchase date
• Supplier
• Product
• Quantity
• Unit price
• Total price
• Expiration date (if applicable)

Example:

Nov-11-2025 | El Buen Sabor Butcher | Carne Asada | 22 lbs | $13/lb | $286 | Exp: Nov-13-2025

Pro Tip: Take a photo of the invoice or receipt and save it in a folder by month

Step 3: Record Outputs (Consumption)

This is the most work, but it's THE MOST IMPORTANT.

Two methods:

A) Detailed Method (Ideal):

Record every time you use something to produce.

Example: You made 50 carne asada tacos

• Output: 2.75 lbs carne asada (0.9 oz × 50)
• Output: 100 tortillas (2 × 50)
• Output: 1.1 lbs onion
• Etc.

B) Practical Method (More realistic):

At end of day:

1. Count/weigh what's LEFT
2. Subtract from initial inventory + daily purchases
3. The difference is what was consumed

Example:

• Initial carne asada inventory: 22 lbs
• Daily purchases: 11 lbs
• Final inventory: 17.6 lbs
• Daily consumption: 15.4 lbs (22 + 11 - 17.6)

Step 4: Identify Waste and Losses

Not everything that leaves inventory gets sold.

Types of waste:

Natural waste (inevitable):

• Fat trimmed from meat
• Bones
• Outer leaves of vegetables
• Broken tortillas

Avoidable waste (where you lose money):

• Spoiled meat
• Oxidized vegetables
• Over-portioning (giving 1.2 oz instead of 0.9 oz)
• Throwing away food because too much was made

Theft/loss:

• Employees taking product
• Customers asking for "free" extras
• Product that disappears without explanation

How to control it:

Compare:

Theoretical consumption (based on sales) vs Actual consumption (based on inventory)

If you sold 100 carne asada tacos:

• Theoretical consumption: 5.5 lbs (0.9 oz × 100)
• Actual consumption per inventory: 7 lbs
• Difference: 1.5 lbs = Waste/theft/over-portioning

If the difference is greater than 10%, you have a problem.

Step 5: Calculate Reorder Point

It's the exact moment you should buy before running out.

Formula:

Reorder point = (Average daily consumption × Delivery days) + Safety stock

Practical example:

Tortillas:

• Average daily consumption: 500 tortillas
• Your supplier takes 1 day to deliver
• Safety stock: 200 tortillas (just in case)

Reorder point: (500 × 1) + 200 = 700 tortillas

When you have 700 tortillas left, you place the order.

Inventory Valuation Methods

When you buy the same product at different prices, which cost do you use?

FIFO (First In, First Out)

How it works: Use what you bought first, first.

Example:

• Monday: Bought 22 lbs carne asada at $12.25/lb
• Wednesday: Bought 22 lbs at $13/lb
• Friday: Sold 26.4 lbs

Cost of goods sold:

• 22 lbs × $12.25 = $269.50
• 4.4 lbs × $13 = $57.20
• Total: $326.70 (average cost: $12.37/lb)

Advantage: Most realistic method for perishables (literally use what you bought first)

Disadvantage: Requires more control

Weighted Average

How it works: Average the cost of all your purchases.

Example:

• Monday: 22 lbs at $12.25 = $269.50
• Wednesday: 22 lbs at $13 = $286
• Total: 44 lbs = $555.50
• Average cost: $12.63/lb

When you sell 26.4 lbs, cost is: 26.4 × $12.63 = $333.43

Advantage: Simpler to calculate

Disadvantage: Doesn't reflect reality of physical use

Recommendation: Use FIFO for perishables, Weighted Average for everything else.

Fatal Inventory Control Errors

❌ Error 1: "I keep it in my head"

Famous phrase: "I know what I have, I've been doing this for 20 years."

Reality: You're wrong. Always. And each mistake costs money.

❌ Error 2: Taking inventory once a month

By the time you realize 11 lbs of meat was stolen, a month has passed. Impossible to know who, when, or how.

Solution: Daily inventory of perishables, weekly for everything else.

❌ Error 3: Not involving staff

If only you know about inventory, then only you can order. And the day you're not there, they run out of tortillas.

Solution: Train your manager or kitchen lead. They need to know the system.

❌ Error 4: Not having a fixed place for everything

Treasure hunt: "Where did I put the cilantro?" You lose 10 minutes. Multiply by 3 times a day, 30 days...

Solution: Each product has ITS place. Always.

❌ Error 5: Buying for "deals" without calculating

"Carne asada is $10.80/lb instead of $13, I'll buy 66 lbs"

But you only sell 44 lbs per week. The other 22 lbs spoil.

You saved $145. You lost $238.

Solution: Buy based on real demand, not "it's cheap".

Manual System vs Digital System

Manual System (Notebook/Excel)

Advantages:

• Free
• Don't need to learn software
• Works without internet

Disadvantages:

• Slow (15-30 minutes daily)
• Prone to human error
• Doesn't alert automatically
• Hard to generate reports
• Only one person can use at a time

Digital System (TacoManager)

Advantages:

• Fast (2-3 minutes to record)
• Automatic calculations
• Alerts when you're low on stock
• Reports in 1 click
• Multiple simultaneous users
• Syncs between locations

Disadvantages:

• Needs internet (though TacoManager works offline)
• Learning curve (but it's minimal)

How to Implement Inventory Control (From Scratch)

Week 1: Initial Setup

• Day 1-2: Complete physical inventory
• Day 3-4: Define categories and storage locations
• Day 5-7: Start recording inputs and outputs (even in a notebook)

Week 2-3: Establish Routines

• Record ALL purchases
• Quick count at closing (15 mins)
• Identify your critical products (those you sell most)

Week 4: Analysis

• Calculate average consumption per product
• Define reorder points
• Identify abnormal waste

Month 2 onwards: Optimization

• Adjust purchase quantities
• Negotiate with suppliers based on data
• Automate with TacoManager

TacoManager's Role in All This

Implementing manual inventory control is possible. But it's tedious and error-prone.

With TacoManager:

✅ Ultra-fast recording: Scan or select product, enter quantity. Done.

✅ Automatic alerts: Warns you when you're about to run out of tortillas, before it happens.

✅ Theoretical consumption calculation: Automatic based on your sales. Compare with actual and detect leaks.

✅ Waste reports: See exactly where your money is going.

✅ Multi-location: If you have 3 taquerias, see all 3 inventories in real-time.

✅ Price history: Know if your supplier is raising prices gradually.

And the best part: it's free forever.

Conclusion

Inventory control isn't a luxury. It's a necessity.

Without it:

• You lose money on waste
• You run out of products during rush hour (lose sales)
• You don't know what you're really spending
• You can't identify theft
• You can't make data-driven decisions

With a good system:

• Reduce waste by 50-70%
• Never run out of product
• Know exactly how much to buy
• Detect problems before they're serious
• Save 10-20 hours per month in management

Start today. Even with a notebook. But start.

And when you're ready to automate everything, create your free account at TacoManager.

Your inventory (and your wallet) will thank you.

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What inventory method do you use? What's your biggest headache with inventory? Tell us in the comments.