Wednesday, November 4, 2026 · For people who sign the checks Calculators · About
Menu & Margin
Open a restaurant and improve how it runs—checklists, operations tools, and free calculators for independent owners

By Menu & Margin editorial team · Published · Updated

Money

Money: books, insurance, and calculators

Keep the books clean, insure the room, and run the cost math with free calculators.

What does the Money hub cover?

Bookkeeping, banking, sales tax, insurance, and the weekly numbers that show whether the room works: food cost, labor, prime cost, break-even.

Bookkeeping cadence

  1. Close each week within three business days: sales, labor, invoices, cash/card variance.
  2. Reconcile processor deposits to POS sales (fees and chargebacks live in the gap).
  3. Separate owner draws from operating expenses.
  4. Chart of accounts should expose food cost and labor—not a single “COGS” dump—so prime cost is readable.
  5. Name owners: who codes invoices, who reviews P&L, who files sales tax.
  6. Monthly: aged payables, gift-card liability, and a one-page flash vs. last four weeks.

Banking

  1. Dedicated business operating account; do not co-mingle personal spend.
  2. Ask your processor for deposit hold / rolling reserve terms in writing before you plan Friday payroll.
  3. Auto-transfer a sales-tax reserve when you collect tax—don’t “owe yourself” at filing time.
  4. Keep a thin operating cushion sized to your own weekly burn from the startup worksheet or recent P&L—not a generic months-of-rent rule.

Sales tax

  1. Register where required before you collect tax. California: CDTFA business registration.
  2. Configure POS tax rates from the official jurisdiction schedule—not a neighboring store’s setup.
  3. Reconcile tax collected vs. tax filed every period; investigate POS mis-taxed modifiers (to-go, delivery, alcohol).
  4. Document who files and when; calendar the due date next to payroll.

Insurance (operator checklist)

Coverage is state- and concept-specific. Use a licensed broker; we do not recommend carriers or invent limit amounts here. Ask about at least:

  • General liability
  • Property (building/tenant improvements, equipment, business personal property)
  • Workers’ compensation (state-required in most cases)
  • Liquor liability if you serve alcohol
  • Business interruption / spoilage riders if your broker recommends them for your equipment profile
  • Certificates of insurance for vendors who work on site

Federal overview of workers’ compensation concepts: U.S. DOL workers’ compensation topic page (actual coverage is state-based). Revisit coverage when you add delivery drivers, outdoor dining, or a second location.

Calculators

Food cost % COGS over food sales. Labor cost % Labor dollars over sales. Prime cost % Food + labor combined. Break-even sales Fixed costs ÷ contribution margin.

Frequently asked questions

What money numbers should I close every week?
Sales, labor, invoices, and cash/card variance within three business days. Reconcile processor deposits to POS sales, then run food and labor (or prime cost) against your own recent weeks.

Payroll products (People)

Payroll sits at the money/people boundary. Product pages: Gusto, Toast, Square, Homebase, ADP. Full directory: Software.

Related

Running better triage Problem-first path into cost and ops fixes. Valuation guide When buying or selling is on the table. Startup cost worksheet For pre-open cash planning.

Calculators and checklists are educational. They do not replace a CPA, bookkeeper, tax professional, or insurance broker.