Bar Inventory Variance Calculator
Track how much liquor is going missing due to over-pouring, spillage, or theft. Enter your beginning inventory, purchases, ending count, and sales-based usage to calculate your variance.
Inventory Variance
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Expected Usage (Physical)—
POS Reported Cost of Sales—
Variance Amount—
Variance Percentage—
About this calculator
Calculate liquor inventory variance and shrinkage percentage for your bar by comparing expected usage from sales to actual counted inventory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is bar inventory variance?
It's the difference between the liquor cost expected based on actual inventory depletion and the liquor cost that should have been used according to point-of-sale records.
What causes high variance?
Common causes include over-pouring, spillage, comped drinks not recorded, theft, or inaccurate inventory counts.
What is an acceptable variance percentage?
Most bars aim to keep variance under 3-5%. Anything significantly higher warrants an investigation into pour practices or loss prevention.