What causes over prep and under prep, and how do you stop both?

Two errors, one cause

Over prep and under prep look opposite, but both come from prepping without a target. Guessing high wastes food, guessing low weeds the line.

The cure for both is the same, which is a par to prep against instead of a feeling.

The cost of over prep

Every over-prepped item is food, labor, and cash you throw away at close. It hides in the trash where no one adds it up.

A par tuned to real usage stops the reflex to make extra just in case, which is where most waste starts.

The cost of under prep

Under prep is quieter but just as costly, because a mid-rush eighty-six loses sales and rushes cooks into sloppy work.

Higher pars on your fast movers, especially for weekends, keep the line from running dry when it matters most.

Let the data settle it

Prep history removes the argument, showing exactly which items ran short and which got tossed. Adjust the pars accordingly.

A few weeks of honest tracking turns prep from a daily debate into a routine that mostly runs itself.