Diagnostic data interchange

A system for managing the inventory of cooked food products in a food preparation establishment at least one cooked food product having a predetermined hold time, the system comprising:

• at least one food holding area for holding an at least one cooked food product, the at least one food holding area being a distance from a food cooking appliance having cooked the at least one cooked food product;
• a control computer assigning a batch identification number to the at least one cooked food product;
• and
• control logic implemented by the control computer, the control logic being operative to determine when the hold time for the at least one food product associated with the batch identification number will elapse in the future and to provide advance notification of when the hold time will elapse.

A method for tracking the hold time of cooked food products comprising:

• providing at least one cooked food product having a predetermined hold time;
• providing of at least one food holding area for holding the at least one cooked food product, the at least one food holding area being a distance from the food cooking appliance having cooked the at least one cooked food product;
• providing a control computer, the control computer assigning a batch identification number to the at least one cooked food product;
• providing control logic implemented by the control computer, the control logic being operative to determine when the hold time for the at least one food product associated with the batch identification number elapses;
• and
• determining when the hold time for the at least one cooked food product elapses.

A method for managing the inventory of cooked food products in a food preparation establishment comprising:

• providing at least one cooked food product having a predetermined hold time;
• providing at least one food holding area a distance from a cooking appliance having cooked the at least one cooked food product, for holding the at least one cooked food product;
• providing a control computer, the control computer assigning a batch identification number to the at least one cooked food product;
• providing control logic implemented by the control computer, the control logic being operative to determine when the hold time for the at least one food product associated with the batch identification number will elapse in the future and to provide advance notification of when the hold time will elapse;
• determining when the hold time for the at least one food product will elapse in the future;
• and
• providing advance notification of when the hold time for the at least one food product will elapse in the future as a function of determining when the hold time for the at least one food product will elapse in the future.

A method for managing the inventory of cooked food products in a food preparation establishment comprising:

• providing at least one cooked food product;
• providing at least one food holding area for holding the at least one cooked food product;
• determining an amount of the at least one cooked food product consumed;
• providing a control computer;
• providing control logic implemented by the control computer, the control logic being operative to determine a number of customer orders received and an amount of the at least one cooked food product in the at least one food holding area, comparing an amount of at least one food product consumed with an amount of the at least one cooked food product in the at least one food holding area;
• and
• generating a signal to cook more of the at least one cooked food product as a function of the comparison.

A method for managing the inventory of cooked food products in a food preparation establishment comprising:

• providing a control computer;
• providing control logic implemented by the control computer, wherein said control computer has access to a database of data enabling forecast of demand for the at least one cooked food product by day and/or hour;
• preparing at least one cooked food product in accordance with the forecasted demand;
• providing at least one cooked food holding area for holding the at least one cooked food product;
• determining when the hold time for the at least one cooked food product will elapse in the future;
• providing advance notification of when the hold time for the at least one cooked food product will elapse in the future;
• comparing the amount of the at least one cooked food product consumed with the forecasted demand and the amount of the at least one cooked food product in the at least one cooked food holding area;
• and
• generating a signal to cook more of the at least one food product as a function of at least one of the comparison and advanced notification.