Virtual CFO for restaurants & hospitality
Financial clarity for established, owner-operated restaurants that need tighter cash control, trustworthy prime-cost reporting, and a CPA in the room before the next big decision.
Approximate pre-tax profit margin for a typical restaurant. Small variances have an outsized effect.
Of each sales dollar commonly goes to food costs.
Of each sales dollar commonly goes to labor costs.
Median prime cost per sales dollar reported by limited-service operators in 2024.
Industry context from the National Restaurant Association and its 2025 Restaurant Operations Data Abstract. Benchmarks are directional, not standards for an individual operation.
Restaurant numbers that tell the truth
Sales are only the first line. Hacking CPA builds the financial system underneath them so you can see cash, prime cost, menu and location performance, and the real cost of every decision.
Map payroll, vendor drafts, rent, debt, tax deposits, and seasonal swings against expected receipts. The goal is not a prettier report. It is knowing what cash is truly available before you commit it.
Food, beverage, and labor move quickly. A weekly operating view shows the variance before month-end closes the door.
POS sales, delivery payouts, merchant deposits, gift cards, comps, and fees should tie out without a monthly scavenger hunt.
Separate what is growing sales from what is creating contribution. Use real segment economics to support menu pricing, scheduling, promotions, catering, expansion, and closure decisions.
One connected financial system
We examine every feed and handoff that shapes the books, then keep what works and rebuild what does not.
Trace sales, tips, taxes, fees, chargebacks, gift cards, and deposits so reported revenue matches what actually arrived.
Build consistent categories and a weekly operating rhythm that surfaces purchasing, waste, overtime, and scheduling pressure.
Keep tip reporting, payroll liabilities, sales-tax clearing accounts, fixed assets, and supporting records organized for the professionals responsible for each filing.
Model the cash and margin effect of a new location, equipment purchase, management hire, catering push, or menu change before committing.
The decisions behind the numbers
A restaurant financial system should shorten the distance between a problem appearing and an owner doing something about it.
A rolling forecast shows the squeeze early and separates operating cash from money already committed to tax, debt, and owner obligations.
See whether traffic, mix, discounts, delivery fees, and labor deployment are creating profitable sales before adjusting the menu.
Pressure-test build-out, debt service, pre-opening payroll, ramp time, and management capacity against the existing operation.
Repair, rebuild, then run it
Review the books, POS flow, merchant settlements, payroll, tax accounts, inventory process, debt, and the decisions on your calendar.
Correct the chart of accounts and integrations, build the 13-week cash model, and create restaurant-specific management reporting.
Close, compare, forecast, and decide with Bruce. You leave each meeting knowing what changed, why it matters, and what happens next.
A clear fit matters
The CPA doing the work
Restaurant accounting questions
The first conversation is for understanding the gap, not pretending every restaurant has the same answer.
A bookkeeper records what happened. This engagement repairs the system, creates a forward-looking cash model, builds decision-ready restaurant reporting, and gives you a monthly conversation with a CPA about what to do next.
The discovery phase maps every integration and settlement flow. The goal is not to force a preferred app stack; it is to make the current stack produce complete, reconcilable numbers and identify where a change is actually necessary.
The financial system keeps these liabilities and supporting records visible and organized. Exact filing scope is confirmed before engagement because payroll, sales-tax, and tip requirements depend on your structure, locations, providers, and applicable law. Tax planning and return preparation are priced separately for ongoing clients.
Yes, when the source data supports it. Location, concept, revenue channel, daypart, or other segments can be designed into the chart of accounts and management reports so comparisons remain consistent.
The initial repair and rebuild runs about 90 days. The goal is a working cash model and initial profit view in the first month, followed by a complete operating cadence by day 90.
Yes. Hacking CPA works nationwide. State-specific compliance needs are identified during discovery and coordinated within the agreed scope.
Thirty minutes with Bruce Hacking, CPA. No prep deck, no associate handoff, and no pressure if the fit is not right.
Schedule your strategy call