Startup Idea: Web-based Accounting Tool for Restaurant Businesses

Startup idea to develop a software solution aimed at simplifying the accounting process for restaurants. The solution should include user-definable forms for easier data recording, seamless integration with point-of-sale systems for data import, efficient data export to Quickbooks or Excel, automated calculations, and built-in database for COD payments and vendors. The goal is to reduce time spent on accounting tasks, prevent discrepancies, and ensure smooth operations without compromising financial privacy.

The situation: I work in a restaurant where the front office takes in cash sales from the server and pays out bills that are COD from a combination of those monies and a petty cash box.

Each individual server sales (as well as voids, comps, etc.) are recorded separately, as they are used to figure out how much in tips is owed to the server/how much cash is owed to the house. Currently those figures are recorded on paper (we have also used excel spreadsheets).

The front of house is also responsible for pulling total sales, and the amount of credit card sales from the point of sale system at the end of the day, and reconciling those figures. Then, at some later point (a day, a week, sometimes more) the account records and codes accounts to all of the transactions in Quickbooks, and looks for any discrepancies.

The problem: The accountant frequently discovers discrepancies. They are usually minor (less and $1.00, usually just rounding that was recorded/explained, or a slight deposit error) but it has to be tracked down. Also, the information is recorded twice - once on paper then entered into the system.

The front of house managers aren't allowed to enter it directly into quickbooks as that would give them too much access to the companies entire financials; also they are not training in coding accounts. A lot of time is wasted, and if there are any major discrepancies it can be difficult to trace them back. Currently our point of sale system can generate reports, but they cannot be easily manipulated, and cannot be paired with monies spent (the COD payables).

It would be amazing if there was a program or web based application that had user definable forms (so that we could set up what fields we needed, using terms that our employees are familiar with) that could import the sales data from our point of sale (including all of the individual server data, which is in there) into that form, where we could also enter the COD payments made, and the vendor name. If it could then export that data into something quickbooks could import, or at least an excel-compatible format for easy cutting and pasting, that would greatly reduce the time the accountant spends on the task.

Then if it could do all of the math on that (like we do on paper now) and generate a printable version of that, plus a deposit slip with the exact amount to be deposited, that would be amazing. If it could also keep a database on the COD payments and vendors, so that the front of house managers could easily check to make sure a vendor isn't suddenly charging more without having to contact the account, and etc. that would be very helpful as well.

To my knowledge there is nothing like this. Our point-of-sale system is Aloha (one of the major restaurant point of sale systems nationally) and they do offer many reporting tools, but again they are not easily manipulated to our exact needs.

I've looked at a ton of reporting and accounting tools, but nothing works to keep the accounting side separate from the operations side, while allowing the operations side to still process COD payables. Currently we just do it on paper, and hope the account catches any errors within a reasonable amount of time.