Why Every Restaurant Needs a Skilled Bookkeeper

Restaurants run on thin margins and fast decisions. A skilled restaurant bookkeeper turns your POS data into reliable financials, controls tips and sales tax, reconciles delivery apps, and keeps a tight handle on prime cost (food & beverage + labor). At Henriquez Accounting & Tax Services, we pair daily POS flows with a disciplined monthly close, quarterly tax planning, and an owner-friendly KPI dashboard—so you can focus on guests and growth. Explore Bookkeeping, Outsourced Controller/CFO, and Tax Preparation.

Top Reasons Restaurants Need a Dedicated Bookkeeper

• Prime cost control: track food/beverage and labor weekly; spot variances early.
• Tip compliance & credits: accurate tip reporting, allocation, and potential FICA tip credit (IRC §45B).
• POS → GL accuracy: daily sales summaries mapped to the right revenue, taxes, tips, and liabilities.
• Delivery app reconciliation: record gross sales and fees (DoorDash/Uber Eats/etc.), not just the net bank deposit.
• Sales tax done right: correct rates, taxable items, and on-time filings to avoid penalties.
• Lender/landlord readiness: clean statements and workpapers that withstand scrutiny.

Restaurant Cadence (Daily • Weekly • Month–Quarter–Year)

Daily

• Import POS Z-report/API: sales by category, comps/voids, tips, gift cards, cash over/short.
• Match cash/credit/debit to bank; record deposits to Undeposited Funds or Merchant Clearing.
• Track third-party delivery orders: gross sales, fees, taxes, tips, and payouts.

Weekly

• Enter vendor invoices (Sysco/US Foods/local); price-check key items.
• Inventory spot counts & waste log; update recipe costs where relevant.
• Payroll prep and tip pool review; resolve cash/tip variances.

Monthly

• Reconcile bank, credit, merchant, POS, and delivery clearing accounts.
• Close with P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, and a KPI one-pager.
• File sales tax; review comps/voids/discounts and employee meals.
• Analyze food cost %, labor %, and prime cost; update 13-week cash forecast.

Quarterly

• Tax estimates; payroll/941 reviews; benefits & scheduling cost check.
• Menu engineering review: contribution margins by item and pricing.

Annually

• 1099s, W-2s, 940 filings; inventory valuation and fixed-asset rollforward.
• Form 8027 for large food/beverage establishments (if applicable).

Common (Costly) Restaurant Bookkeeping Mistakes

• Recording delivery deposits as revenue without backing out platform fees/taxes/tips.
• Tips posted to expense instead of liabilities; missed FICA tip credit support.
• No Merchant Clearing flow—impossible to tie POS to bank payouts.
• Ignoring comps/voids and employee meals—food cost % looks “fine” but cash bleeds.
• Gift cards/gift certificates treated as income instead of liabilities (breakage not tracked).
• Sales tax mapped to wrong items; late filings and avoidable penalties.

Restaurant KPIs We Track

• Prime Cost % (Food & Bev + Labor): target depends on concept; many aim for ~55–65%.
• Food Cost % / Beverage Cost % with variance by category and top items.
• Labor % by FOH/BOH; overtime & scheduling efficiency.
• Avg Check, Table Turns, Comps/Voids %, Cash Over/Short.
• Delivery Mix and contribution after fees.

Recommended Stack (Plays Nicely with QuickBooks)

• POS: Toast, Square, Clover (exports/APIs for daily sales summaries).
• Inventory & COGS: MarginEdge, Restaurant365, or xtraChef (recipe costing & invoice capture).
• Scheduling/Labor: 7shifts or Homebase (labor % & punch controls).
• AP & Spend: Bill.com or Ramp with approvals and vendor management.
• Payroll: Gusto, QuickBooks Payroll, or ADP (tip reporting & allocations).

Pro Tip: Always record delivery platforms gross-to-net (gross sales → less platform fees, refunds, tips, taxes) into a Merchant Clearing account. Your bank deposits will finally reconcile cleanly to POS.

What You’ll Get When You Work With Us

• Daily POS-to-GL flow with clean Merchant Clearing and tip/tax mapping.
• Monthly reconciliations and a reliable close checklist.
• Prime cost dashboard with food, labor, and delivery contribution.
• Sales tax filings, payroll/tip reporting, and notice handling.
• Quarterly tax projections and menu-margin insights.

 Book a 30-Minute Consultation

FAQs

Can you handle tip pooling and the FICA tip credit?

Yes. We set up proper liability accounts, run tip allocation reports, and maintain support for the potential FICA tip credit (where applicable). For labor law specifics, we’ll coordinate with your HR/legal advisor.

How do you reconcile delivery platforms like DoorDash or Uber Eats?

We post gross sales, fees, taxes, and tips to a clearing account, then match payouts to the bank—so statements tie out and margins are visible.

Do you manage sales tax across multiple locations?

We review nexus and registrations, map taxable items correctly, and file returns on schedule—per location where required.

Can you help with menu engineering?

We analyze contribution margins by item, highlight low-margin bestsellers, and suggest pricing/portion changes backed by data.

What controls reduce cash loss and shrink?

Daily cash sheets with over/short tracking, manager approvals on comps/voids, inventory counts, and role-based POS permissions—plus monthly variance reviews.

Ready for books that actually run your restaurant?

We’ll integrate your POS, tame delivery reconciliations, and give you a prime-cost dashboard that drives action. Talk to an Enrolled Agent today. Schedule Consultation