SmartPrep turns your sales forecast into a daily prep plan so your kitchen knows exactly what, when and how much to prep.
How SmartPrep helps
Most kitchens are still guessing. Prep too little and you're 86'ing mid-service. Prep too much and you're throwing profit in the trash. SmartPrep replaces the guesswork with a clear plan. With it, your team can:
Prep the right amount every day, based on real demand
Cut waste and avoid surprise 86's
Standardize prep across shifts and locations, and see what's done in real time
It's the difference between reacting during service and walking in already prepared.
SmartPrep is a strong fit if you: manage prep across shifts or multiple locations; struggle with over-prepping or running out mid-service; or want more consistency and accountability in the kitchen.
Article Contents
- How it Works
- What SmartPrep setup looks like
- A note on Label Printing
- Pricing & Access
- Common questions
How it Works
SmartPrep brings the moving parts of prep into one daily workflow and gets smarter with use:
It starts with your sales forecast, so the kitchen can plan ahead on what to prep.
That plan becomes organized prep lists and checklists that your team uses during prep.
As tasks get completed, managers see what's finished, what's outstanding, and where follow-through is slipping.
SmartPrep connects to a label printer to print dissolvable labels with prep details and expiration dates based on each recipe's shelf life.
Over time, SmartPrep learns. After two days of using SmartPrep, it begins predicting how much to prep each day and adjusts as your forecast changes.
What SmartPrep setup looks like
Most teams are up and running in five moves. The full walkthrough lives in the Admin Setup Guide, but here it is at a glance:
Step |
What you do |
Where |
1. Shared device |
Authenticate a kitchen tablet with a PIN |
Setup → Shared Devices |
2. Employees |
Confirm the staff names that appear in SmartPrep |
Labor → Employees |
3. Prep list + pars |
Build (or AI-import) your prep list, set yields, schedule it, and add pars |
SmartPrep → Prep List |
4. Checklists |
Build recurring line checks or opening/closing checklists |
SmartPrep → Checklist |
5. Label printer |
Connect the label printer and print your first label |
From any recipe → Settings → Printers |
You're considered fully set up when: a shared device is activated, a prep list is scheduled with pars added, and your label printer is connected. These three together are what unlock predictions and the full SmartPrep experience.
A note on Label Printing
SmartPrep works with the Zebra ZD411 label printer. It prints dissolvable labels with prep details and expiration dates based on each recipe's shelf life, so your team stays compliant and organized and can follow FIFO. Once the printer is connected, staff print labels during prep or directly from a recipe. The printer is available as part of a SmartPrep hardware bundle at checkout, or you can buy a compatible ZD411 from any vendor.
Pricing & Access
SmartPrep is $95/month per location. [me] users who are Billing Contacts can add it to eligible locations directly from the app itself.
Common Questions
Is this only for large kitchens?
No. Any team that wants to reduce waste and improve consistency benefits.
Do I need Forecasting set up first?
Sales forecasts are already calculated for your account. If you forecast outside MarginEdge, you can import yours.
Do I need to build Recipes first?
No. When you build your prep list, SmartPrep helps you upload or create the recipes you need, which you can finalize before your first scheduled prep.
What if my prep changes daily?
That's the point. Once predictions kick in (after 1–2 weeks of tracking on-hand vs. pars), SmartPrep adjusts with your forecast so the plan stays relevant.
Prep with confidence 💪No more guessing. No more last-minute scrambling. SmartPrep helps your team walk into every service knowing exactly what to do. |