Restaurant & Bar Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping for
Restaurants
& Bars.

Food cost tracking, tip reporting, vendor payments, daily sales reconciliation — restaurant and bar finances move fast and touch everything. One missed reconciliation can throw off your entire month. We keep it clean so you stay in control of your margins.

No setup fees  ·  Cancel anytime  ·  Dedicated bookkeeper

At a Glance
What We Track for Food Service
Everything handled monthly — nothing falls through the cracks
Food & Beverage COGS✓ Tracked
Tip Income & Reporting✓ Reconciled
Vendor & Supplier Payments✓ Categorized
Daily Sales Reconciliation✓ Balanced
Payroll & Tip-Out✓ Managed
Liquor License & Compliance Fees✓ Logged
5.0
Star Rating
$0
Setup Fees
Who It's For

Built for Every Type
of Food Service Business

From a single-location café to a multi-concept bar group — we understand how food service financials actually work.

🍽️

Restaurants (Full Service & Fast Casual)

High volume, tight margins, and a dozen moving parts. Food costs, labor, POS reconciliation, and vendor bills all demand a bookkeeper who understands the restaurant business.

  • COGS and food cost percentage tracking
  • POS system reconciliation (Toast, Square, Clover)
  • Vendor bill management and AP tracking
  • Labor cost and payroll by department
  • Sales tax tracking and remittance
  • Monthly P&L broken down by category
🍺

Bars & Nightclubs

Cash-heavy operations with complex tip reporting, comp tracking, and liquor inventory. We build a system that keeps your bar books audit-ready.

  • Liquor and beverage COGS tracking
  • Tip reporting and tip-out reconciliation
  • Cash drawer and POS daily balancing
  • Comp and promotional expense tracking
  • Liquor license and compliance fee logging
  • Catering and event revenue separation
🚚

Food Trucks & Catering

Mobile operations and event-based revenue require a flexible bookkeeping structure. We track income and expenses across locations and events so your numbers are always accurate.

  • Event and location-based revenue tracking
  • Commissary and kitchen rental expenses
  • Permit and health inspection fee logging
  • Food and supply cost per event
  • Mileage and vehicle maintenance tracking
  • Seasonal income planning
Sound Familiar?

The Financial Headaches
We Fix

Restaurant and bar finances have challenges that general bookkeepers routinely miss. Here's what we hear from nearly every new client.

😩

Margins Are Tight and Hard to See

You're busy every weekend, but are you actually profitable? Without tracking food cost percentages and labor ratios, you're running blind.

📉

Tip Reporting Is Confusing and High-Risk

Tip income, tip pools, tip-out to support staff — the IRS has specific rules and the penalties for mishandling are real. We track it correctly from day one.

🧾

Vendors and Bills Are Everywhere

Sysco, US Foods, local suppliers, alcohol distributors — vendor invoices pile up fast. We track every bill and payment so nothing gets missed or paid twice.

😰

POS Data Doesn't Match the Bank

Your sales are in Toast, your money is in three bank accounts, and your cards settle on a two-day delay. Reconciling it all manually is a nightmare. We handle it.

What Tides Delivers
Every Month
So you never deal with any of those problems again
Food Cost Tracking & COGS ReportsKnow your food cost percentage every month so you can adjust ordering and pricing before margins erode.
Monthly P&L by CategoryRevenue, COGS, labor, and overhead all broken out clearly — every single month.
Tip Income Properly ReportedEvery dollar of tip income tracked and reported correctly so you're never at risk of an audit issue.
Vendor Bills Tracked & PaidAll supplier invoices logged and reconciled so nothing gets missed or paid twice.
One Dedicated BookkeeperA real person who knows your business and responds fast — not a ticket system or a call center.
What's Included

Everything You Need,
Nothing You Don't

Every Tides plan includes all seven core services. Restaurant and bar clients get specific treatment for COGS tracking, POS reconciliation, and tip income reporting.

📈

Financial Reporting

Monthly reports that show your income, food costs, labor, and overhead — so you can see exactly where your margins are going.

Monthly Reports
🏦

Bank Reconciliation

Every business account and credit card matched and verified each month. No mystery charges. No unresolved transactions. No surprises.

📑

Accounts Payable & Receivable

We track vendor bills, supplier payments, and outstanding invoices so your cash flow stays healthy and nothing gets missed or paid twice.

🔄

Catch-Up Bookkeeping

Months or years behind? We clean it all up before we start your regular monthly service — no matter how far back the backlog goes.

💼

Payroll Support

If you have front-of-house or back-of-house staff, we coordinate payroll processing and keep your tax filings clean and on schedule.

★★★★★

"Finally understanding our food cost percentages changed how we order and price our menu. Tides made our numbers make sense for the first time."

MR
M.R.
Restaurant Owner  ·  Verified Client
Common Questions

Restaurant & Bar
FAQ

Questions we hear from food service business owners before they sign on with Tides.

Yes — POS reconciliation is a core part of what we do for food service businesses. Whether you use Toast, Square, Clover, or another system, we reconcile your daily sales reports against your actual deposits. Card settlements, cash variances, and refunds are all accounted for so your books match reality every single month.
We track tip income and tip-out according to IRS requirements. This includes reported tips, tip pools, and service charge allocations. We make sure your tip reporting is accurate and consistent so you're never at risk of an audit issue. We also coordinate with your payroll processor to ensure tip withholding is handled correctly.
Yes — food cost tracking is one of our core capabilities for restaurant clients. We categorize your food and beverage purchases separately and calculate your COGS as a percentage of revenue each month. This gives you visibility into whether your food cost percentage is trending in the right direction and where you might be losing margin.
Yes — we can set up your books to track income and expenses by location, giving you a separate P&L for each. You'll be able to see which locations are performing and which ones need attention, all in one consolidated report.
Not at all — cash-heavy businesses are something we have systems for. We establish a daily cash reconciliation process tied to your POS so every dollar is accounted for. Proper cash handling documentation also protects you in the event of an audit.
Flat monthly pricing based on transaction volume — no hourly rates, no surprises. Schedule a free call and we'll quote you on the spot. All plans include every core service and a dedicated bookkeeper who knows your business.

Serving Restaurants & Bars Nationwide

Based in South Carolina. Serving food service businesses coast to coast, 100% remotely — because your books don't need to be in the same city as your kitchen.

Columbia, SC Charleston, SC Greenville, SC Myrtle Beach, SC Charlotte, NC Atlanta, GA Nashville, TN + Nationwide
12 Industries

Beyond Restaurants,
We Serve All These Businesses

Tides Bookkeeping specializes in bookkeeping across 12 distinct industries. Industry-specific expertise means fewer errors, better categorization, and a bookkeeper who already understands how your business makes money.

View All Industries →
Get Started Today

Run Your Restaurant.
We'll Handle
The Books.

Schedule a free 15-minute call. We'll review your current setup, answer your questions, and give you a flat monthly quote — no pressure.

No credit card required  ·  No long-term contracts  ·  Cancel anytime