Menus and recipes › Menu item recipes › Set up a prep list
Set up a prep list
Updated Nov 4, 2026 · 2 min read · For GMs and kitchen leads
Set up a prep sheet so your team knows how much of each item to make.
Steps
- 1On the web, go to Automation > Prep and click the Prep Sheets tab. Open your location's sheet, or click New prep sheet.
- 2Click + Item below the list and pick a recipe. Then pick its Batch size and type its Shelf life in days.
- 3Set the Auto switch under Target. Off: you set a PAR. On: Kintow sets the target from sales and the recipes that use the item.
- 4On prep day, open the Prep Runs tab and click Continue Prep on the sheet.
- 5Type what's on hand in each item's On hand box. To prep shows how much to make.
Warning: Auto target too low? the item has to be in the recipes of the things that sell, or Kintow can't see the demand. See Build a sub-recipe with a yield.
Tip: New item? we recommend starting with a PAR and switching to Auto once it has a few weeks of sales.
What happens next
In the mobile app, staff find the list under Inventory > Prep. To count prep items too, see Put prep items on a count sheet.
Why it matters
Make too little and you run out mid-rush; make too much and it goes in the bin. A prep sheet gives every shift the same number to make.
Common questions
Can I leave catering sales out of Auto prep targets?+−
It depends on your menu. If catering rings through your everyday items, it's hard to separate, so ask support first.
How do prep sheets decide how much to prep?+−
Either from a par you set, or, with Auto on, from sales and the recipes that use the item. You enter what's on hand, and To prep shows how much more to make.