86
Also called: 86'd · eighty-sixed
To 86 an item is to remove it from service because it has run out. The term is American restaurant and bar slang dating to at least the 1930s; the origin is disputed and no single account is well documented. Operationally, it's a data point, not just an announcement.
What a pattern of 86s means
- Same item, same night of the week — your par level for that item is set against the wrong day.
- Same item, accelerating — demand has shifted and the prep list hasn't caught up. Usually a dish that just got popular.
- Many items, one shift — a delivery was short or a prep shift got cut. Check receiving before adjusting pars.
- A high-margin item, frequently — this is the expensive one. Every 86 on a star is contribution margin you had demand for and couldn't sell.
Worked example · What one recurring 86 costs
- Dish 86'd
- Fridays, from about 8pm
- Covers turned away or switched
- ≈14/week
- Contribution margin of the dish
- $20.71
- Assume half order something else at $13 CM
- $91 recovered
- Weekly contribution lost
- $199 · $10,348/year
Against a par increase that ties up perhaps $60 more of inventory. This is the arithmetic that turns an 86 log from a chore into a decision.
Run the numbers
Par level calculator
Related terms
Par level
The quantity of an item you want on hand at the start of each order cycle — enough to cover demand plus a safety buffer.
Usage rate
How much of an item you consume per day or per cover — the input behind every par level and order.
Menu mix (PMIX)
The share of total sales each menu item represents — the weights behind every menu-level average.