Accruals accounting allows you to record revenue before receiving payment for your goods or services and record expenses before the restaurant has paid for them. While more complex, this method gives restaurant bookkeeping you a more accurate view of your business’s health. It’s often better in the long run for inventory-heavy businesses. Finance Pal is very affordable for what they do and I get a lot for my money.

Zachary has built Custom Restaurant Financial Models just for restaurant owners and operators. I actually recommend this configuration as it helps you better understand where your payroll dollars are going. I cover this configuration in detail in my restaurant chart of accounts post.

Balance sheet

Data used for restaurant accounting is generated at multiple points in your business. Sales receipts, vendor invoices, bank statements, basically any transaction where cash is exchanged or the promise of cash being exchanged is made. Whether you’re outsourcing restaurant accounting, or doing it in-house, knowing what data you need and where to find it is crucial. If you wanted to spend all day poring over receipts, invoices, time cards, spreadsheets and accounting software, you’d have gone to business school to become an accountant. You’re in the business of making food and entertaining customers, not crunching numbers. A restaurant profit and loss statement, or P&L, keeps all restaurant accounting information organized in one concise document.

On the other hand, accountants interpret, classify, analyze, report, and summarize this financial data. This is the biggest difference between restaurant accounting services and restaurant bookkeeping. While accounting involves interpreting and analyzing data, bookkeeping only focus on recording. You probably joined the industry to make delicious food to serve and create a great environment for your patrons.

Track Restaurant Sales

This is something an bar inventory management platform like BinWise quickly generates for bars and restaurants. All based on historical sales data that’s depleted in real-time. As an owner, you know the challenges of running a restaurant, such as staffing, inventory management, and controlling the cost of goods sold. Finding a bookkeeper who understands the complexity of the food and beverage industry, both front-of-the-house operations and back-of-the-house management. If your restaurant has more than $1 million in revenue, switching to accrual is best. Accrual accounting records financial transactions as they happen, whether you have received payment or not.