We get some version of this call every few months. A restaurant opened with what looked like plenty of plates, and by month three they're reordering and asking what's wrong with the china. Usually nothing. They just never had enough of it.

What a PAR level means for dinnerware

A PAR level is the amount of dinnerware you keep on hand so service never waits on the dish machine. Most people budget for one setting per seat and a few spares. On a busy night that runs out fast. Some plates are on tables, some are in bus tubs, some are in the dish machine, and a stack on the pass is waiting for the next ticket.

When that stack runs thin, the line starts pulling plates straight off the dish rack. A high-temperature dish machine's final rinse runs at 180°F, so those plates come out hot and wet. Some go right into a walk-in or blast chiller for plated desserts. Others get food on them before they've had a minute to cool. Vitrified china is built to handle heat, but cycling the same few dozen plates like that all night wears them out faster.

Tuxton's own handling guide lists "overworking the china due to inadequate inventory levels" as a cause of scratching, glaze wear and staining. Stacking hot, wet china is on the same list. When you're short on plates, both happen every shift.

The formula

The math is short. Multiply your seat count by the quantity factor for each item, then divide by 12 to get the number of dozens to order.

At 200 seats with a dinner plate factor of 3, that's 600 plates, or 50 dozen.

The factor depends on the item and on how your dining room runs. These are the factors Tuxton recommends by type of operation:

When the result isn't a whole number, round up. A 150-seat casual dining room needs 150 × 2.5 = 375 bread plates, which is 31.25 dozen, so order 32.

When to go higher than the chart

The chart is a starting point for a typical operation. Three things should push your numbers up: how many times you turn tables per meal, your maximum seating, and any special menu items.

If you turn tables three or four times a night, more plates are in motion at once, so you need more in circulation, not just more in storage. Build for your fullest night, like a sold-out private event, rather than an average Tuesday. And if one item carries your menu, raise its factor. A steakhouse goes through steak platters faster than the chart assumes, and a brunch spot goes through cups and saucers.

Why it pays to get this right the first time

Ordering short means reordering often, usually on someone else's timeline. If your pattern has been discontinued or is out of stock, you end up having a mismatched look or replacing the whole set. Ordering too much ties up cash and shelf space you could be using for something else. A few minutes with the formula avoids most of that.

If you'd rather skip the math, Tuxton's PAR Level Calculator asks three questions about your operation and seat count and gives you a recommended order quantity, using the same formula our team uses with new accounts.

Frequently asked questions

How many plates per seat does a restaurant need? For dinner plates, Tuxton recommends 3 per seat for fine and casual dining, 2.5 for cafeterias and 2 for institutional foodservice. Other items have their own factors in the chart above.

What should I consider besides seat count? Turnovers per meal, your maximum seating and any menu items you serve a lot of. Each one can push a factor above the chart.

Does running short on dinnerware really cause damage? It speeds up wear. Tuxton's handling guide links inadequate inventory to scratching, glaze wear and staining, because the same plates get washed and reused over and over without a break.

Talk to us before you order

Opening a new dining room, refreshing an old one, or tired of reordering the same plates every few months? Send us your seat count and we'll help you figure out what you need.

Try the PAR Level Calculator · 909.595.2510 · Info@tuxton.com