What does 86 mean in a kitchen?
86 means you are out of it. When a cook says “86 the salmon,” the salmon is off the menu until someone says it is back.
Where do you hear 86 in a kitchen?
You hear it on the line, at the window, and at the start of a shift. A cook runs out of something and calls it out loud: “86 the salmon.” That is the whole idea. If you have ever wondered what 86 means, it means “we are out of it.”
It works for a whole dish or for one part of a dish. Say you run out of Roma tomatoes. The pico de gallo is out too, because you cannot make it without them.
People also say “86’d” for the thing that is gone. “The salmon is 86’d” means there is no more salmon. Some people use it for a guest who is not welcome back. In this post we stay with food.
How does an 86 list work?
An 86 list is the list of what you are out of right now. It sounds simple. It only works when three things are clear.
- Who says it. Usually a cook or the chef. Pick who is allowed to call it, so the list is not a guess.
- Where it lives. One place that everyone can see. Not three sticky notes and a shout.
- Who is told. The servers, the host, and anyone who takes orders or answers the phone.
Pick Carlos in the pretend kitchen and say “86 the salmon.” Try the demo
Keep the list short and current. A list full of old items teaches people to stop reading it. When something comes back, take it off at once.
Say the reason once, if you have one. “86 the salmon, the delivery came in short” helps the chef plan. It also helps a server answer a guest who asks why.
What goes wrong with a whiteboard?
A whiteboard hangs in the kitchen. The servers are out on the floor. Someone writes “no salmon” and nobody looks at it. A table orders the salmon anyway. Now a server has to walk back and say sorry.
That is the real problem. The list is right, but the people who sell the food never see it. A bigger board will not fix that. Telling the floor the moment you run out will. We wrote a whole post about that: how to stop servers selling a dish you’re out of.
There are small problems too. The marker runs dry. Someone wipes the board by accident. A dish comes back and nobody erases it, so a server tells a guest it is gone when it is not.
What is a simple routine for the 86 list?
Here is a routine any kitchen can use. It takes a minute and it saves a lot of sorry.
- A cook sees the last portion go and says it out loud: “86 the salmon.”
- The person who owns the list writes it down in the one place everyone looks.
- Someone tells the floor right then, not at the next line-up.
- The chef checks the count. If the cook was wrong, the dish comes back.
- At the end of service, clear the list. Start tomorrow fresh.
Step four matters. A cook can be wrong, and a wrong 86 costs you a sale. But service comes first. When in doubt, take it off, then check.
How do you bring a dish back?
Say it is back. “Salmon is back” or “back on” works in many kitchens. Take it off the list. Then tell the floor the same way you told them it was gone.
Do not skip this. A dish that stays 86’d by mistake costs you sales all night. Nobody complains, because nobody knows. Make “back on” as loud and clear as “86.”
What is the difference between 86 and low?
Low means you still have some, but not much. 86 means you have none. The two words give the kitchen two different signals, so use them on purpose.
Say “low” early. “We’re low on salmon” gives the chef time to plan. The chef can run a special with something else, or call the company for a rush delivery. Say “86” only when the last portion is gone, or when the food is no good and cannot be served.
A kitchen that only says 86 hears about problems too late. A kitchen that says low first has time to fix them. If the same dish keeps getting 86’d, that is a hint. Your shelf target may be too small, or the order may be going in too late.
How does Heard handle the 86 list?
In Heard, a cook says “86 the salmon” and the dish goes grey on the server menu. A server cannot add it to a table. Say “Salmon is back” and it comes back on. You can read how it works on the 86 list page.
One thing to know. Service comes first, so Heard 86s the dish even if its count says there is plenty. When a cook says it, Heard then asks the chef to double check. On a wide screen, tap Side by side to see the kitchen and the server screens in one window. Try the demo, pick Carlos, and say “86 the salmon.”
Quick questions
What does 86 mean in a restaurant?
It means the item is out. When a cook says “86 the salmon,” the salmon is off the menu until someone says it is back.
What does “86’d” mean?
The item is gone. “The salmon is 86’d” means there is no more salmon right now.
How do you say a dish is back?
Say “back on” or “the salmon is back.” Take it off the list and tell the floor.
What is the difference between 86 and low?
Low means you have a little left. 86 means you have none. Say low early so the chef has time to plan.