Managing your restaurant’s finances doesn’t have to be a headache. In our Finance blog category, we provide practical advice, expert insights, and actionable strategies to help independent restaurant owners navigate the complexities of restaurant bookkeeping, budgeting, cash flow management, and profitability. From understanding prime costs to setting up effective financial systems, our posts cover everything you need to build a strong financial foundation for your business.
Table Needs is dedicated to helping restaurants take control of their financial health. Whether you’re a quick-service restaurant, bakery, or food truck, our tools and tips are designed to help you reduce stress, avoid financial surprises, and make smarter decisions for sustained growth and profitability.
Growing your team is an exciting time for a restaurant owner, but managing restaurant payroll? Probably not exactly your idea of a good time. Before you pass all that paperwork over to a restaurant payroll service, take a few minutes to understand why it’s so critically important to your business. Getting payroll wrong doesn’t just…
You didn’t open your coffee shop, food truck, or burger joint to spend your nights on restaurant bookkeeping, right? You opened it to pour lattes, serve up tacos, and keep your guests coming back for seconds. And between inventory runs, payroll, and making sure the fryer doesn’t go down during lunch rush, the last thing…
Did you know that start up costs for a restaurant can easily reach half a million dollars? Good news is that you can save money without cutting corners by finding affordable restaurant equipment and software. In this article, we offer practical advice for finding affordable restaurant equipment, hardware, and software that fits both your needs…
The first year in business is often a whirlwind. Your primary focus is getting customers in the door, perfecting your processes, and simply staying afloat. As you find your footing and establish a steady rhythm, it’s time to think beyond just the basics and explore new ways to grow. One of the most effective strategies…
With rising food costs and tight profit margins, increasing your average quick service restaurant check size is essential for maintaining a healthy bottom line. According to a survey of over 600 restaurants, 58% cited food costs as their primary financial strain. Additionally, profit margins across the industry have fallen an average of 1.6% compared to…
When looking to save money on restaurant technology, many restaurant owners start by shopping around for the cheapest options. Here’s the thing: going cheap for cheap’s sake doesn’t usually pan out. If you really want to save money on restaurant technology, here’s what you need to know. Focus on Essential Capabilities First For new food…
A Simple and Secure Restaurant Budget Management Method and Technology Designed for the Unique Needs of Quick Service Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Bakeries, and Food Trucks Table Needs Inc., a leading provider of innovative solutions for restaurant operations, is proud to unveil its latest addition to its Restaurant Operations Platform, Table Needs Cash Flow, a profit-focused…
Figuring out how to price your menu is one of the most important aspects of running a profitable quick service restaurant, coffee shop, or food truck. But choosing the right menu pricing method is tough! You want to turn a profit but you also don’t want to scare away your customers. So what’s the best…
Restaurant owners have a lot to do to manage a restaurant and stay profitable. Marketing, ordering, inventory, menu management, staffing, and back office functions all put pressure on restaurant owners every day. One way to streamline your financial management is by automating sales tax, a task that requires a lot of detail and discipline. Sales…
Increase financial control with quick, simple, secure credit card processing and account transfers Table Needs, a leading provider of restaurant technology and business services for quick service restaurants, cafes and food trucks announced today the launch of next-business-day point of sale (POS) deposits. Restaurant owners and food truck operators can now receive payments from credit…
Operating a restaurant is a balancing act. There’s a ton to manage on a daily basis: serving top-notch food and beverages, managing staff, taking care of customers, tracking orders, cleaning, opening and closing your restaurant. While it’s easy to get wrapped up in the daily grind, as a restaurant owner, it’s essential to make time…
Knowing which metrics to monitor will make or break your restaurant business. With so many ways to slice and dice data using your point of sale, there are endless options but only a few metrics are true indicators of the health of your restaurant. In my experience as a restaurant owner, consultant, and CEO of…
Do you know the #1 concept that will determine if your restaurant thrives or dies? A lot goes into running a restaurant but if your goal is to have a successful, thriving restaurant business, you need to keep one important number in mind at all times: Contribution Margin You’re not alone if you don’t know…
It’s expensive to run a business and with inflation, gas prices and rates increasing, more small business owners are looking for ways to save money and offset credit card processing fees. You may have heard some merchant service companies advertise “free” credit card processing or “no fee” credit card processing. These offers can be tempting…
While reviewing your payment processing report at the end of last month, you noticed a bunch of extra fees on your merchant statement. Sure, you know what you’re supposed to be paying for credit card processing but what are these other charges? And wait… why is your processing rate so high all of sudden?! Sound…
Algorithms and Antipasti: Interpreting the Sales Data From Your Menu Let’s start with a short refresher on menu engineering. Menu engineering is data-driven menu design that analyzes the popularity and profitability of menu items. It couples this analysis with human behavior patterns to determine the best menu structure and organization for your restaurant’s menu. Table Needs…
This will come as no surprise to restaurateurs: When a customer swipes their debit or credit card on their POS machine, the restaurant pays a percentage — say, 2% — to the bank for using its machine. It’s also no secret that percentage adds up. Of course, it can be significantly higher than that. To…