Restaurant Bookkeeping: A Comprehensive Guide for Managers

The primary difference lies in the complexity and volume of transactions. Restaurants handle a large amount of cash and credit card transactions daily, making tracking and reconciling a challenging task. To manage these complexities, many restaurants turn to specialized hospitality accounting services. These experts understand the ins and outs of restaurant finance, ensuring accurate, timely accounting and bookkeeping. In the realm of restaurant management, it’s crucial to distinguish between accounting and bookkeeping, as each plays a unique role in the financial health of the business. Without a solid system of bookkeeping, a restaurant’s financial health can quickly slide into disarray, making it crucial for any establishment in the food service industry.

What You Need to Track

Think of restaurant accounting as the secret sauce to your business's success. His fascination for how restaurants work stems from his childhood experiences, whilst helping to run his parents’ restaurant in Kenya with his brothers, an interest that hasn’t escaped him after 30+ years. Aku regularly shares his expertise and experience to help restaurateurs achieve success, having worked with leading brands, such as Zuma, The Fat Duck, The Ledbury and COYA since their inception. During this time, he was part of the launch team of various products including Zomato Online Ordering which grew to become one of the biggest food delivery platforms in the UAE. Over his time, he helped build various sales and account management teams and mentored new team members.

How did I find and evaluate the best restaurant management software?

They work closely with the owner to develop a business plan and budget, setting the financial foundation for success. These technologies not only simplify tracking but also provide actionable insights into revenue trends, customer behavior, and operational performance. Mistakes in bookkeeping can create costly problems for restaurants, from compliance issues to lost revenue.

How to Avoid Common Restaurant Accounting Mistakes

Restaurant bookkeeping is more than a compliance requirement; it is a strategic tool that ensures the financial health and sustainability of your business. Monitoring the financial health of your restaurant is essential for ensuring long-term success and profitability. Strong bookkeeping practices enable restaurants to maximize efficiency, reduce costs, and maintain financial stability. Below are examples showcasing how implementing best practices and modern tools can elevate your bookkeeping processes.

• By connecting seamlessly with your POS, accounting software automates the collection and organization of financial data and transactions.
• To create a P&L for your restaurant, you subtract the total cost of goods sold from your Master Total for the week to calculate gross profit.
• As someone without deep technical knowledge, I found this incredibly helpful in reducing the time spent learning the system.
• The firm offers bookkeeping and accounting services for business and personal needs, as well as ERP consulting and audit assistance.
• This could mean reducing operating costs or finding ways to generate more income to cover debts.
• Regular audits and financial reviews help maintain transparency and financial health in restaurant operations.

Cost of Goods Sold

Rather than trying to handle the books yourself or hiring someone to work internally, we recommend getting an outside bookkeeper. This wouldn’t be a full-time position, and they’re a separate person from your business accountant. Thus, they have no control over or connection to the daily ordering and sales in your restaurant. As an incentive for restaurants to report employee tips collected on the employee’s W-2, restaurants can claim a tax credit on their tax return equal to 7.65% of tips reported by employees.

It allows real-time tracking of your financial performance and mitigates errors that occur with manual restaurant accounting. Keeping these books for your restaurant straight, current, and accurate is crucial to the financial success of your business. You can use restaurant accounting software to manage all your bookkeeping needs, such bookkeeping for restaurant as creating professional invoices, managing cash flow, and tracking time. Managing a restaurant’s financials involves more than just daily bookkeeping. Accountants offer key services like payroll management, tax preparation and compliance, as well as inventory and cost control.

This method is usually best for restaurant accounting because you have to regularly track your inventory, and it gives you a more accurate view of your financial situation. The accrual accounting method records income and expenses when you earn or bill them, even if you haven’t received or spent the money yet. Although It can be more complex to work on, the accrual method is the most widely used. The next restaurant accounting area you’ll need to pay attention to is the expenses. Tracking expenses monthly and even weekly helps you understand how you can improve and cut down spending. Restaurant bookkeeping focuses on managing the financial books and documenting transactions.

Use accounting software

Understand the difference between gross and net profit, and how these metrics reflect your restaurant’s overall financial performance. Beyond food and labor, there are various operating expenses that you must account for to keep your restaurant afloat. By analyzing different revenue sources, you can determine which areas of your business are the most profitable—whether that’s food sales, alcohol sales, merchandise purchases, or catering.

Stop doing manual data entry 🛑

• This allows you to manage your accounts payable completely in the cloud and the ability to pay your bills from anywhere.
• Usually, about a third of a restaurant’s gross revenue goes towards paying for COGS.
• Accounts payable aging reports help manage cash flow, ensuring invoices are paid within agreed terms.
• Restaurant bookkeeping involves tracking income, expenses, payroll, and taxes, providing vital information for decision-making.
• A robust payroll system helps track hours worked, calculate wages, and manage deductions for benefits and taxes, reducing errors and potential penalties.
• Properly managing accounts payable ensures timely payments, maintains vendor trust, and avoids late fees.

It also aids in securing loans or investors, as they require reliable financial records. Simply put, bookkeeping is the backbone of a restaurant’s financial management, ensuring its long-term viability and success. Behind every successful dining experience is a well-managed financial system, ensuring the business stays profitable and sustainable. Understanding the roles and benefits of accounting and bookkeeping is essential for achieving that balance. But how do you choose the right services, and why does it matter so much?

Accurate records of benefits and tax payments aid financial audits and tax filings. Caryl Ramsey has years of experience assisting in bookkeeping, taxes, and customer service. She uses various accounting software to set up client information, reconcile accounts, code expenses, run financial reports, and prepare tax returns. She is also experienced in setting up corporations with the State Corporation Commission and the IRS.