Power Automate Flows for Automating Restaurant Inventory Alerts in Microsoft 365

If you’ve ever found out you’re out of fryer oil during a rush, you already know the real cost isn’t the oil. It’s the stress, the lost tickets, and the hit to your reputation.

This is why I set up Power Automate inventory alerts for restaurants on Microsoft 365. The goal is simple: if flour, bottled soda, or takeout containers drop below a safe level, the right people get notified, an escalation kicks in if nobody acts, and every alert gets logged for accountability.

What follows is the exact approach I use with SharePoint, Teams, Outlook, and Planner in 2025 Microsoft 365.

What “good” inventory alerts look like in a restaurant

A helpful alert is not “Low stock!!!” at 2:00 AM. A good alert answers: what item, how low, where, who owns it, and what happens next.

I aim for three outcomes:

• Fast awareness in Teams for daily operators
• Formal notice by email for managers and owners
• Audit-ready logging in SharePoint so patterns are visible (and no one has to argue about “who knew”)

Step 1: Build a SharePoint List that actually works for kitchen inventory

I prefer SharePoint Lists over Excel for day-to-day counting because it handles permissions, history, and multiple editors better. Excel can work, but it’s easier to break.

Here are SharePoint List columns that map cleanly to real restaurant inventory (ingredients, beverages, packaging):

Column name	Type	Example
ItemName	Single line of text	All-Purpose Flour
Category	Choice	Dry Goods
Location	Choice	Main Pantry
CurrentQuantity	Number	45
ReorderLevel	Number	100
Unit	Choice	lbs, cases, rolls
Supplier	Single line of text	Sysco
LastCounted	Date and time	2025-12-05 6:30 AM
OwnerEmail	Person or Group	Kitchen Manager
Active	Yes/No	Yes

Two small choices save headaches later:

Use whole numbers for most items (cases, rolls, bags). If you need decimals (like pounds), still store as a number, but decide your rounding rules.

Store “OwnerEmail” so the flow knows who should get the first alert.

Step 2: Create a SharePoint “Alert Log” list for auditability

I always add a second list called something like “Inventory Alerts Log.” This is what makes alerts traceable.

Suggested columns:

• AlertId (Single line of text)
• InventoryItem (Lookup to Inventory list)
• TriggeredOnUtc (Date and time)
• TriggeredOnLocal (Single line of text)
• AlertStatus (Choice: Sent, Escalated, Resolved)
• NotifiedTo (Single line of text)
• TeamsMessageLink (Hyperlink)
• FlowRunLink (Hyperlink)

This log becomes useful fast, especially when you want to spot repeat issues with the same vendor or count process.

Step 3: Build the Power Automate flow (low stock alerts)

If you’re newer to flows, I like the quick framing in Introduction to Power Automate Flows in Business Central, even if you’re not using Business Central. The concepts map well.

Here’s the flow pattern I implement for restaurants.

1. Trigger: Recurrence
   Run it daily at 6:30 AM (before prep), or every 4 hours for high-velocity items.
2. Action: Get items (SharePoint)
   Pull from the Inventory list.
   If your list is large, turn on pagination and set a realistic threshold.
3. Action: Filter array (Data Operations)
   Keep only Active items.
   Expression: equals(item()?['Active'], true)
4. Action: Condition (low stock check)
   Core comparison (safe for number fields):
   lessOrEquals(int(item()?['CurrentQuantity']), int(item()?['ReorderLevel']))
5. Yes branch: Compose (alert message)
   I format a short, readable message for humans: item, current, reorder level, unit, location, supplier.
   Add local time for clarity:
   convertTimeZone(utcNow(),'UTC','Eastern Standard Time','yyyy-MM-dd h:mm tt')
6. Action: Post message in a chat or channel (Microsoft Teams)
   Post into a channel like “Ops, Inventory Alerts.” Tag the owner if you store them.
7. Action: Send an email (V2) (Outlook)
   Email the GM and owner for items below reorder level. Use a clear subject: “Low Stock: Plastic Wrap (2 rolls).”
8. Action: Create a task (Planner)
   Title: “Reorder: Bottled Soda.” Assign to the OwnerEmail. Due date example (tomorrow):
   addDays(utcNow(),1)
9. Action: Create item (SharePoint)
   Write a row into the Alert Log list with who was notified and when.

This is the heart of Power Automate inventory alerts: repeatable checks, clear notifications, and a paper trail.

Step 4: Add escalation rules (so alerts don’t die in a channel)

Restaurants are noisy. Messages get buried. I add escalation when a task isn’t completed within 24 hours (or sooner for core items).

A simple escalation pattern:

Rule	Trigger	Action
Escalate after 24 hours	Planner task not marked complete	Email GM + post Teams reply
Escalate same day for critical items	Category = Proteins	Text message via an SMS connector (optional)

You can implement the 24-hour rule with a second Recurrence flow that checks the Alert Log for “Sent” items and compares timestamps. Date math example: lessOrEquals(items('Apply_to_each')?['TriggeredOnUtc'], addHours(utcNow(),-24))

For SMS, the pattern is similar to what’s described in Send text messages from Dynamics 365 using Power Automate, even if your data source is SharePoint.

Step 5: Optional upgrades (approvals, POS tie-ins, and reporting)

If you want control before reordering, add Start and wait for an approval after the low-stock condition. If approved, create a purchase request item in SharePoint, or kick off a vendor email template.

If you’re pairing alerts with reporting, the workflow in Critical Inventory Email Alert with Microsoft Power BI and Power Automate is a useful reference for mixing thresholds with dashboards.

And if inventory ties to front-of-house systems, that’s where my Restaurant POS Support and Kitchen Technology Solutions work matters, aligning counts, menu changes, and ordering habits.

Troubleshooting Power Automate inventory alerts (what usually breaks)

Connector sign-in issues: If “Get items” fails, the SharePoint connection often expired or the account lost access. I fix it by re-authenticating the connection and confirming the flow owner has list permissions.

Pagination surprises: If you have more than 5,000 items, you might see missing results. Turn on pagination in “Get items,” then set a threshold that matches your list size.

Time zone confusion: Store UTC in logs, but display local time in messages using convertTimeZone(). Also confirm your Recurrence trigger time zone.

Numbers stored as text: If CurrentQuantity came in as text, comparisons act weird. Cast with int() and standardize the column types in SharePoint.

Best-practices checklist I use for restaurant flows in Microsoft 365

I treat these flows like production systems, not hobby automations. That mindset is part of my Small Business IT approach, paired with Cloud Infrastructure and Cloud Management that fits restaurants with lean teams. When I’m also handling Office 365 Migration projects, Data Center Technology planning, and Infrastructure Optimization, I keep flows inside a Secure Cloud Architecture with Cybersecurity Services that include Endpoint Security and Device Hardening. This is the day-to-day side of Digital Transformation, backed by Technology Consulting, IT Strategy for SMBs, and Managed IT for Small Business, with Business Continuity & Security as the baseline. It’s how I show up as a Business Technology Partner delivering Innovative IT Solutions and Tailored Technology Services.

Conclusion

When I set up Power Automate inventory alerts, I’m not chasing fancy automation. I’m protecting service quality with simple checks, clear alerts, and a log that makes trends visible.

If you want help turning your inventory counts into reliable Teams and email alerts, with escalation and audit logging that stands up to real restaurant chaos, I can help you build it right the first time.