Originally Posted by
dragonspearls
No real requirements for stocking food, although you should have enough food so that you aren't getting angry customers for not having any at all. When you choose "Keep the Food", nothing will happen because you're telling the game to not clear the counter. If you need an empty counter, and either don't have the space or coins for a new one, then you would choose "Clear the Counter" which will make the food on it disappear.
At lower levels, it's a balancing act between your style of play, the number of appliance slots you have, space, and the coins to buy new counters. I've never bought additional appliance slots for gems because I can't afford to buy gems. I save my gems for items I really want. For quite awhile after I first started playing, I couldn't keep my counters stocked with food between the need for coins and more appliance slots. Now at level 95, I'm cursing the slower sales along with the sheer amount of food some recipes make. As an example, the Peruvian Pork Loin that came out last month made well over 100,000 plates. I currently have more than 101,000 plates of it left. :/