Restaurants & Food Service

You're busy every night—
but margins still feel tight.

Tables are full. POS is ringing. Staff is moving. But when you check the bank account— the money isn't there.

Labor hits 32-38% of revenue

Food waste eats 4-10% of costs

Net margins: 3-6% (if lucky)

Why Your Restaurant Feels Profitable
But Your Bank Account Disagrees

What You See Daily:

  • $4,200 in sales today
  • Tables turning 2-3 times during rush
  • Staff working hard, customers happy
  • Revenue feels strong

What The Numbers Show:

  • Labor jumped to 36% this month (target: 30%)
  • Food cost at 34% (should be 28-32%)
  • $1,800 in spoilage/waste you didn't track
  • Net profit: $2,100 (on $126k revenue = 1.6%)

You made $2,100 for 30 days of 14-hour shifts.

Your POS system—whether it's Toast, Shift4, or another platform—already generates the data you need: sales by item, labor by shift, tip compliance tracking. The problem? Most restaurants never turn that raw data into decisions.

We build reporting that shows you exactly where your money is going—and what to do about it.

Where Most Restaurants Go Wrong

They assume:

  • More revenue fixes everything
  • Cutting costs means cutting quality
  • Their accountant will flag problems

But in reality:

  • Revenue growth often hides inefficiencies that compound over time
  • Most losses come from unseen patterns, not big mistakes
  • Traditional accounting doesn't surface operational issues

Your system makes your numbers necessary, not optional.

The JJ&A Solution

You're not underperforming—
you're just not seeing where the money is going.

Labor Cost Control

  • Track labor % by daypart (lunch vs dinner)
  • Identify overstaffing patterns
  • Optimize scheduling to match traffic
  • Monitor overtime creep before it kills margins

Inventory & Waste Tracking

  • Food cost % by menu category
  • Spoilage and waste documentation
  • Portion control variance
  • Supplier pricing trends

Pricing & Menu Engineering

  • Which dishes drive profit vs volume
  • Menu mix analysis (what sells vs what should)
  • Price elasticity insights
  • Margin optimization recommendations

Don't Get Caught on Tip Reporting

The Internal Revenue Service requires strict tip reporting for restaurants—mistakes here don't just create paperwork issues, they create audit risk across your entire payroll. Underreporting can trigger penalties, back taxes, and IRS scrutiny that extends far beyond tips.

We ensure your tip allocation, Form 8027 filing, and payroll tax compliance are airtight—protecting you from costly IRS audits.

Real Example:

The Problem:

A 65-seat restaurant doing $115k/month felt profitable. Owner worked 70-hour weeks. But cash was always tight, and there was never money to reinvest or pay themselves consistently.

What We Found:

  • Lunch shift overstaffed by 2 people daily = $3,600/month wasted
  • Protein waste (improper storage) = $1,200/month loss
  • Three menu items had negative margins after labor

The Fix:

Adjusted scheduling, tightened inventory controls, repriced 3 items.

Result: +$6,200/month to bottom line

Industry Benchmarks:

28-32%

Target food cost %

25-30%

Target labor cost %

60-65%

Combined prime cost (food + labor)

5-10%

Net profit margin (healthy range)

Common Profit Killers:

  • Overstaffing during slow periods
  • Food waste from poor inventory rotation
  • Underpriced menu items
  • Comped meals without tracking
  • Inconsistent portion control

Industry Data:

The National Restaurant Association publishes quarterly benchmarks on labor costs, food pricing trends, and operational metrics.

We use this data to contextualize your performance.

Stop Working 70-Hour Weeks
For 3% Margins

We'll show you where your labor costs spike, how inventory waste destroys profits, and which menu items are actually making you money.