The 30-Minute Weekly Cash-Flow Ritual for Restaurants
Restaurant cash flow isn’t just timing—it’s discipline. When deposits land late, vendors batch invoices oddly, and tips payouts spike, cash seems to “evaporate.” The fix is a short, consistent rhythm that brings deposits, payables, and reality into alignment—every Monday morning (or your first business day of the week).
Below is the 30-minute ritual we deploy with operators to eliminate surprise shortages, smooth vendor relationships, and make owner distributions predictable.
1) Pull your POS and bank reality (8 minutes)
POS close recap (prior week): net sales, comps/voids, tips, gift card activity, refunds.
Cash & tip payouts: confirm declared tips vs. payroll/tip credits.
Bank activity: download the prior week feed (Fri–Thu or Mon–Sun—pick and stick to it).
Delivery partners: DoorDash/UberEats/Toast deposits—note fees deducted vs. gross.
Goal: tie gross → fees → net for each deposit stream so you can forecast the same pattern next week.
2) Reconcile deposits at a glance (7 minutes)
Use a simple 3-column view:
Expected (from POS/export)
Actual (bank deposit)
Variance (+/- and reason)
Common variances:
Weekend/holiday lags (Monday “double hits”)
Processor holdbacks (chargeback reserve)
Delivery platform adjustments (promos, refunds)
Gift card breakage timing
If a deposit is missing or light, flag it immediately—don’t wait until month-end. A quick email to the processor now saves hours later.
3) Vendor triage & payment plan (10 minutes)
List vendors by next due date and criticality:
Tier A (must-pay): food purveyors, payroll taxes, rent, utilities.
Tier B (important): linens, waste, software, maintenance.
Tier C (flexible): marketing, smallwares, non-critical subscriptions.
Create a 2-run disbursement plan:
Run #1 (today): Tier A items due ≤3 days; any COD vendors; sales tax if in window.
Run #2 (Thu): Tier A/B due in 4–7 days; catch-up small balances to keep relationships clean.
Email any Tier A vendor you’re short on: “You’re on Thursday’s run; partial today for $X, balance Thursday.” Vendors value predictability more than promises.
4) 10-minute look-ahead forecast (5 minutes)
Use last week’s actuals + known events:
Starters: last week’s net deposits by channel (POS, delivery, catering).
Planned disbursements: payroll date/amount, sales tax, vendor runs #1 and #2.
One-offs: equipment repair, patio heaters, holiday party deposits.
Buffer: 5–8% of net sales for “unknowns.”
The output is a 7–10 day cash curve: opening balance → inflows → outflows → lowest cash point. If the low point is below your comfort floor, adjust Thursday’s run or push non-critical spend.
Tools & templates that make it stick
Weekly Cash Board (single tab):
Rows: Mon–Sun next 10 days
Columns: Opening cash | POS net | Delivery net | Other inflows | Payroll | Taxes | Vendors | Other outflows | Closing cash
Deposit Reconciliation mini-table: Expected vs. Actual vs. Variance by stream.
Vendor Heatmap: Color by due date & criticality; notes for “partial today / full Thursday.”
Keep it to one page. If your weekly ritual becomes a packet, it won’t happen.
Multi-unit twist (roll-up in 3 minutes)
Each unit keeps the same one-tab board.
A parent tab links only the Ending Cash and Next-7 Net Flow from every unit.
Owner distribution rules reference the system-wide lowest cash point, not averages.
Shared vendors (waste, linens) get centralized to smooth the cycle and capture discounts.
Red flags this ritual exposes (so you can fix them fast)
Tips mismatch between POS and payroll funding.
Processor fee creep (bps inching up unnoticed).
Delivery discounts not mirrored in menu pricing.
Vendor drift (terms quietly shortening, minimum orders creeping).
Sales tax slippage due to timing assumptions.
Quick start (this week)
Pick your weekly window and lock it.
Build the one-tab Cash Board.
Do Run #1 today, Run #2 Thursday.
Calendar block 30 minutes every Monday for the ritual.
Review the lowest cash point—that’s your early-warning signal.
Want this as a plug-and-play reporting tool with your POS mappings and vendor tiers baked in?