How a restaurant accountant engagement usually works
Work begins with a short review of your venues, structure (sole trader, company, trust, partnership), current software, chart of accounts, payroll settings, and any deadline pressure (late BAS, super, or payroll errors). We then align on three layers of work:
1) Immediate triage. Fix urgent issues first: bank and POS not reconciling, unpaid super, payroll classification errors, missing invoices, or overdue BAS.
2) Process design. Clean, repeatable workflows: daily sales and payout reconciliation (POS and delivery platforms), supplier bill capture, stock counts, payroll approvals, and month-end close.
3) Ongoing review. Weekly flash reports and monthly management packs so you can track wage %, COGS %, GP, and cash needs ahead of busy or quiet periods.
Core services a restaurant accountant provides
- Bookkeeping for hospitality: POS and delivery platform reconciliations, split tenders, gift cards, deposits, tips vs surcharges, and merchant fees mapped correctly.
- Payroll and awards: Hospitality Award interpretation, penalty rates and allowances, leave loading, super (currently 12%), STP Phase 2, and payroll tax where applicable.
- BAS and GST: Correct tax codes for surcharges and combos, supplier GST checks, and accurate reporting even with multiple venues or entities.
- Stock and COGS: Monthly stocktakes, recipe costing, wastage tracking, and variance analysis for menu engineering.
- Management reporting: Weekly flash plus monthly packs with wage %, COGS %, GP, sales mix (food vs beverage), AOV, and covers.
- Year-end and tax: Financial statements, company/trust tax returns, depreciation for fit-outs and equipment, and FBT implications for staff meals and entertainment.
Australian context to keep in view
- GST on hospitality: Most restaurant and cafe sales are taxable. Watch the GST treatment of public holiday surcharges, mandatory service charges and gift cards (usually GST on redemption).
- Tips vs payroll: Voluntary tips to staff are handled differently to surcharges. Make sure payroll and GST codes reflect the difference.
- Award compliance: The Hospitality Industry (General) Award drives penalty rates and allowances. A restaurant accountant will align rosters, payroll and on‑costs accordingly.
- Deadlines: BAS (monthly or quarterly), super (generally due by the 28th day after quarter end if quarterly), STP finalisation each July, and WorkCover reporting vary by state.
- Multi‑venue structures: Consider intercompany charges, consolidated reporting and cash management across venues.
What to compare before you commit
Scope
Confirm the scope covers your real need: cleanup, POS and delivery reconciliations, payroll fixes, BAS lodgements, and weekly reporting. Avoid vague “bookkeeping only” if you need more.
Software fit
Look for depth in Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks Online plus your POS (Square, Lightspeed/Kounta, OrderMate) and rostering tools (Deputy, Tanda). Ask how payouts and fees are reconciled.
Turnaround and communication
Weekly cut‑offs, month‑end timing, and escalation during busy seasons. Ask who you speak to and how issues are tracked.
Commercial fit
Clarity on fees (fixed vs hybrid), meeting rhythm, KPI dashboards, and whether you want compliance only or ongoing advisory.
Popular software stacks for restaurants and cafes
Choose tools that integrate cleanly and reduce manual work:
- Ledger: Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks Online with bank feeds mapped to POS clearing and merchant fees.
- POS and ordering: Square, Lightspeed/Kounta, OrderMate and similar systems with category‑level mapping to the chart of accounts.
- Delivery management: Integrations like Deliverect to consolidate Uber Eats, DoorDash and Menulog into one clean feed.
- Rostering and time: Deputy or Tanda with award interpretation switched on and synced to payroll.
- Source capture: Supplier bill automation and stock tools to tighten COGS and reduce data entry.
Reporting cadence and KPIs that help owners act
- Weekly flash: Sales by category, wage %, COGS %, GP, average spend, covers and top items.
- Monthly pack: P&L with trend lines, balance sheet, cash flow, and variance analysis to budget.
- Stocktake rhythm: Monthly minimum, weekly for fast‑moving or high‑shrink categories.
- LABOUR and COGS targets: Benchmarks vary by concept; your accountant should calibrate targets to venue style and price point, not a generic rule.
Best next steps
Write down the precise outcome you want: clean POS reconciliations, a BAS lodged, award‑compliant payroll, tighter COGS, or management reports you can review every Monday.
Shortlist providers against that outcome. The right restaurant accountant explains the workflow, sets turnaround expectations, and connects the numbers to staffing and menu decisions.
Use the links below to move into the most relevant subtopic or service hub before you make contact.
Frequently asked questions
Why use a restaurant accountant instead of a general accountant?
Restaurants and cafes face specific realities: POS and delivery platform payouts, complex rosters and penalty rates, gift cards and surcharges, tight cash cycles and supplier terms. A restaurant accountant designs bookkeeping, payroll and BAS processes around service windows and reporting pressure so you get timely, decision‑ready numbers.
How are tips and surcharges treated?
Voluntary tips paid to staff are generally outside the scope of GST. Mandatory service charges and public holiday surcharges are taxable supplies and need the correct GST code. Your accountant should also confirm the correct payroll and ATO reporting treatment for any tips processed through payroll.
How should we handle gift cards and vouchers?
Gift card sales are usually a liability when issued and become taxable when redeemed. Mapping this correctly prevents GST and revenue timing errors and keeps BAS lodgements clean.
What KPIs should we watch weekly?
Wage cost % of sales, COGS % by category, gross profit, average spend per head, covers and wastage. A simple weekly flash from your restaurant accountant makes this quick to review.