What does all day mean in a kitchen? Definition for restaurants

Kitchen term for the total count of a specific item needed across all current orders.

All day is a kitchen term meaning the total count of a specific item needed across all current orders. For restaurants, this running total helps cooks manage their stations efficiently. When the expediter calls “eight chicken all day,” the grill cook knows exactly how many portions to prepare, regardless of how many separate tickets contain chicken orders.

Key facts

Definition: Total count of an item across all pending orders
Who calls it: Expediter, chef, or kitchen manager
Purpose: Helps cooks track workload and batch efficiently
Format: “[Number] [item] all day”

The quick definition

All day is the running total of a specific menu item across every ticket currently in the kitchen. It aggregates individual orders into one number that tells each station exactly how much they need.

Individual tickets	All day count
Table 4: 2 salmon
Table 7: 1 salmon	5 salmon all day
Table 12: 2 salmon

Instead of tracking three separate tickets, the fish cook knows: five salmon total.

Why all day matters

Efficient batching

All day counts enable smart batching:

A grill cook with “six ribeyes all day” can use grill space efficiently
A fryer cook knowing “twelve fries all day” can batch drop instead of cooking small portions
A saute cook can prep vegetables for multiple dishes simultaneously

Individual ticket tracking wastes time and creates inconsistency.

Workload awareness

All day counts give cooks situational awareness:

Station awareness	Benefit
”Two items all day”	Light load, can help other stations
”Fifteen items all day”	Heavy load, focus entirely on station
”Zero all day”	Caught up, prep for next rush

Preventing mistakes

Cooks can verify their counts against the expediter:

“I have four salmon working, you said five all day?”
“I show eight burgers, can you confirm all day?”

This cross-checking catches errors before they become problems.

Coordination between stations

When stations know each other’s all day counts:

They can anticipate timing
Help can shift to overwhelmed stations
The whole kitchen moves together

How all day works in practice

Calling all day

The expediter calls all day in standard format:

Call	Meaning
”Three salmon all day”	Three salmon needed total
”Two chicken, four salmon all day”	Two chicken, four salmon needed
”Fry, you have twelve all day”	Fry station has twelve items total
”Grill, what’s your all day?”	Asking grill for their count

Updating counts

All day counts change constantly:

New tickets add to the count
Completed dishes reduce the count
86’d items remove from count
Refires add back to count

Good expediters update counts after every change.

Station check-ins

During service, expediters verify counts with each station:

Expediter: "Grill, all day check"
Grill: "Eight ribeye, four chicken working"
Expediter: "Confirmed, eight ribeye four chicken all day"

This prevents drift between expediter counts and station counts.

All day versus other kitchen calls

Term	Meaning	Example
All day	Total count needed	”Five salmon all day”
Fire	Start cooking now	”Fire two salmon”
Working	Currently cooking	”Three salmon working”
Up	Ready at the pass	”Two salmon up”
Hands	Need runner	”Hands on table 12”

All day is informational. Fire is a command.

Managing all day counts effectively

1. Call counts clearly

State the number, item, and “all day” clearly: “Four ribeye all day” is correct. Just saying “Four ribeyes” is unclear whether it is a new order or a count. Consistency prevents confusion.

2. Update after every change

Counts should update after new tickets arrive, orders are fired, dishes are completed, or items are 86’d. Stale counts create errors.

3. Confirm acknowledgment

Cooks should respond to all day calls. “Heard, six burger” confirms receipt. No response means the call may have been missed.

4. Reconcile regularly

During quieter moments, count tickets against all day totals and verify station counts match expediter counts. Catch and fix discrepancies before they compound.

All day mistakes to avoid

Forgetting to update

Calling “six salmon all day” but not updating when two are completed leaves cooks with wrong information.

Unclear communication

Saying “six” without specifying the item or confirming “all day” creates confusion.

Not tracking by station

All day counts should be station-specific. “Six all day” without context does not help anyone.

Ignoring discrepancies

When a cook’s count differs from the expediter, stop and reconcile immediately. Small errors compound quickly.

Over-relying on memory

During busy service, memory fails. Use written or digital tracking to support verbal calls.

Fire (Kitchen Command) - The command to start cooking items counted in all day totals
BOH (Back of House) - Where all day counts coordinate kitchen operations
Ticket time - Efficient all day management reduces ticket times

Frequently Asked Questions

What does all day mean in a restaurant kitchen?

All day refers to the total count of a specific item needed across all current orders. If the expediter calls "six salmon all day," it means six salmon are needed in total across all pending tickets, not six on each ticket.

Why do kitchens use all day counts?

All day counts help cooks manage prep and cooking efficiently. Instead of tracking individual tickets, cooks can batch prepare items. Knowing "eight ribeyes all day" lets the grill cook plan space and timing better than ticket-by-ticket counting.

Who calls all day in a kitchen?

The expediter typically calls all day counts. They track all pending orders and communicate totals to each station. In smaller kitchens, the chef or lead cook may handle this role.

What is the difference between all day and fire?

Fire means start cooking now. All day is a count of total items needed. "Fire two salmon" means start two salmon immediately. "Six salmon all day" means six total salmon are needed across all current tickets, some may already be cooking.

How often should all day counts be called?

Expediters call all day counts whenever new tickets come in, after fires, or when stations need updates. During peak service, counts may be called every few minutes to keep everyone aligned.

Related: Table turnover rate | Capacity planning

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