Use this template to convert your QuickBooks Profit & Loss (income statement) to an industry standard format, including proper cost of sales percentages and prime cost ratios... more >>

The Irony of service is that while it seems elusive and intangible, it is the lifeblood of the restaurant industry. To succeed in any restaurant, you need to do more than say the word, you need to embrace, understand and communicate what good service means to your people. You need to figure out some ways to measure it, too.... more >>

The adage, "hot food on hot plates, cold food on cold plates" rings true still. Chef Michael Tsonton revisits this often forgotten kitchen function... more >>

Monitor your daily and weekly labor expenses as compared to sales and to labor targets that you choose. A very powerful tool for controlling one of your biggest costs. Choose between Full Service and Quick Service formats.... more >>

Did you know that RestaurantOwner.com resources can be shared with your managers and team members at no additional charge? Learn how to quickly add your entire team of restaurants, managers and team members to your RestaurantOwner.com account.... more >>

Don't get eaten alive at the buffet! Take a look at the rules of survival and profitability for your restaurant's food and salad bar. Get a handle on your operations and pricing to ensure success with this concept.... more >>

Managing outstanding gift certificates for your restaurant can be a daunting task if you don't have a system in place. This spreadsheet form helps you track the certificates you sell, including amounts issued, redeemed, and remaining balances... more >>

If we could have seen the future, we might have been more prepared for the coming pandemic crisis. A simple 12-week cash flow projection spreadsheet is not a crystal ball, but it can help you plan for rather than react going forward.... more >>

Use the Purchasing Checklist as a guide for deciding what your restaurant should be doing to purchase the best products in the most economical and efficient way. It should help you quickly become aware of basic purchasing procedures and policies. Use it as a tool to help you determine what should be done, how it should be done and who should be doing it.... more >>

A well-conceived, professional restaurant business plan is your greatest single asset for turning your restaurant dreams into reality. It's the key to convincing anyone to invest money, make a loan, lease space or do business with you prior to opening.... more >>

Your P&L doesn't tell you everything you need to know about the financial health of your business. Knowing how to read your restaurant's balance sheet will give you a better understanding of how your business is doing and enable you to make better business decisions.... more >>

Use this training manual template as a guide to create your own detailed training manual for this position. Having a complete and thorough training manual for every position is critical to ensure consistent training when people are hired and for correct, consistent execution in the restaurant.... more >>

If you want to know what price restaurant or bar customers will pay for your menu items, begin by finding out what your competition is charging. Use this form to collect and record prices your competitors charge for similar food or bar menu items.... more >>

Why in the world would we want to spend so much effort on marketing simply to gain first-time customers, unless we are certain that we can deliver a guest experience good enough to make them want to come back? If you want to ensure you consistently exceed guest expectations in your restaurant, you must focus your attention on improving the systems that impact your customer's experience the most.... more >>

For a sales person to be successful they need tools and resources to help them promote your business. The Catering/Banquet Sales & Marketing Scorecard provides your sales staff with a simple tool to track the progress and success in turning contacts into sales.... more >>

Deciding whether to add a new item to your menu is a big decision. There are many things to consider besides whether it tastes good and your customers may buy it.... more >>

Take steps to become the "employer of choice" in your local market. Here's our huge and growing library of resources on recruiting, hiring, leadership and creating a productive, positive culture where people WANT to do their best, work well as a team and take exceptional care of their guests.... more >>

Restaurants that form a birthday club have found it to be one of their most cost effective and successful marketing endeavors. Even better, their customers love it! This detailed checklist provides all the elements you need to easily and quickly implement a birthday club that will grow guest counts, sales and customer goodwill.... more >>

A prime vendor program can be one of the easiest ways to lower your food cost & reduce non-productive purchasing time. Here is the cover letter template to explain to the distributor how the Prime Vendor program will work and how you would like them to prepare the bid.... more >>

This survey will show you what other independent restaurants are doing to successfully find, select and hire hourly employees. Some of the responses are unconventional and reflect a high degree of creativity. Learning what's working for other independent restaurant operations should give you many valuable ideas to improve your own recruiting and hiring systems.... more >>