At the end of the day, while it’s not designed for accounting, it plays a vital role in accounting for the organizations that use it. Built for iPads, it’s made for ease of use in the restaurant environment. Hopefully you know what revenue is – it’s the amount of sales brought in (as opposed to profit, which is revenue minus expenses). If this definition restaurant bookkeeping comes as a surprise, you will probably have business problems that this page can’t solve. That said, it’s also critical, and if your accounting is in disarray, it can be surprisingly hard to measure accurately over certain periods of time. You need to keep track of what you spend on supplies, and the same holds true for your labour costs.

Some items might be tax free in your state and may not require that you charge sales tax. This is important for both you, and your customers, so make sure you check with the appropriate agency to determine what is taxable and what is not. That means you will be charged 5% on all sales made during, for example, the month of May. You need to be charging your customers that 5% to cover the bill you’ll have.

Understanding the cost-to-sales ratio

Its simple yet robust interface helps you learn accounting principles as you manage your restaurant. And because FreshBooks gives you professional tools, you are in control of your accounting method. In fact, FreshBooks lets you create profit and loss statements straight from its accounting software. As such, your restaurant bookkeeping efforts will be far more manageable. Keeping track of your inventory and how it affects your restaurant can make or break your business.

• Concentrate on such numbers as sales vs. expenses, labor ratios, and prime cost.
• It’s not a comprehensive accounting software, but the data it processes does support restaurant accounting functions.
• Most credit card terminals require that you close out that batch of transactions every day.
• Since restaurants and bars deal with a lot of cash daily, this method is the preferred method.
• The result is either cash over or short – but in an ideal world, you’re at zero.
• Compare features, pricing, and expert reviews for your business software needs – all in one place.

Alongside your reports and tracking your revenue and expenses, there are several other key performance indicators (KPIs) to keep an eye on to ensure your restaurant is on track to remain profitable. A cash flow statement tracks all the money that comes in and out of your restaurant during a specific period. Your cash flow statement dissects how well your venue generates cash to fund your expenses. Ultimately, the accounting method you choose will depend on your restaurant’s size, structure and financial goals.

Special Considerations for Restaurant Bookkeeping

The POS system usually includes an electronic cash register and a software system that tracks purchases daily. 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. Accrual accounting provides more precision but requires more bookkeeping. Instead of recognizing revenue and expenses when cash changes hands, accrual accounting matches revenue and expenses when they’re incurred. Unless your business has a dine-and-dash problem, you shouldn’t have to worry about accounts receivable, or the balance customers owe for already-rendered goods and services.

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