FOR RESTAURANTS, CATERING & EVENT BUSINESSES
Bookkeeping & Profit First Coaching for Restaurants and Event Businesses
You didn’t open a restaurant, bar, catering or event business to spend your nights on spreadsheets. But between payroll, food and beverage costs, vendor invoices, card fees and unpredictable seasons, it’s easy to feel like you’re running flat out just to stay afloat.
Abacus gives hospitality owners clean monthly books, clear cost reporting and Profit First coaching, so you know whether busy is actually profitable and can plan with confidence.
The money challenges hospitality owners tell us about
- Thin margins. After labor, food and beverage costs and card fees, there’s little left, and it’s hard to see exactly where it goes.
- Costs creeping up. Labor and cost of goods rise a little at a time, and you only notice when the bank balance drops.
- Seasonal swings and cancellations. Slow weeks, off-season dips and canceled events make cash flow unpredictable.
- Deposits for future events. Catering and event deposits arrive months early, and it’s easy to spend money that’s really for future costs.
- Growth without a plan. A second location or bigger events look exciting, but you’re not sure the numbers support it.
How Abacus helps hospitality businesses
Monthly bookkeeping in QuickBooks. Every transaction categorized and every account reconciled, with your financial reports ready each month, so your numbers are always up to date.
Clear cost reporting. We set up your books so labor and food and beverage costs are easy to see as a share of sales, month by month.
Profit First for hospitality. Profit, owner’s pay and operating expenses are set aside from every deposit, so slow weeks and the off-season are covered.
Planning for big decisions. A second location, new equipment or a bigger team: we help you see what you can afford before you commit.
Monthly reviews with you. We walk through your numbers every month, so you understand them, not just receive them.
What you'll know every month
- Your true net profit, not just what’s in the bank
- Labor and food and beverage costs as a share of sales
- Which services, events or locations make the most money
- How much to set aside for slow seasons
- How much you can safely pay yourself
Is Abacus a fit for your hospitality business?
We work best with restaurants, bars, cafés, catering and event businesses that:
- Have been in business 3+ years
- Bring in roughly $400K–4M+ a year
- Use (or are happy to move to) QuickBooks Online
- Want to understand their numbers, not just hand them off
We work with hospitality businesses across the United States, fully virtually.
Hear from business owners who took control of their numbers and transformed their businesses
Hospitality Bookkeeping FAQs
What costs should a restaurant track every month?
At minimum, labor and food and beverage costs as a share of sales, plus card fees and overhead. Seeing them every month lets you act before small increases turn into lost profit.
How should catering and event deposits be handled?
Deposits for future events aren’t all yours to spend yet. They cover costs still to come, so we help you set them aside and each event is funded when it happens.
How does Profit First help with seasonal dips?
A set share of every deposit goes to profit, owner’s pay and a reserve, so the busy months build up the money that carries you through the slow ones.
Do you work with hospitality businesses across the US?
Yes. Abacus is fully virtual and works with restaurants, catering and event businesses across the United States.
Do I still need to be involved if you do my bookkeeping?
Yes, but not in the data entry. We meet with you every month to review your numbers, so you understand them and can make better decisions about pricing, spending and growth.
Ready to know whether busy is really profitable?
Take the free Profit Diagnostic to see where your business stands, or book a call with Kerry to talk it through.