Accounting and advisory for Restaurants
Restaurants run on razor-thin margins, where a few points of food or labor cost decide whether a month is profitable. Laya gives restaurant owners clean, timely books and the cost visibility to actually manage them — whether you run one location or twenty.
The financial challenges Restaurants face
Food and labor costs that move every shift
Prime cost — food plus labor — typically eats 60–65% of revenue and shifts with every supplier invoice and schedule change. Without weekly visibility, overspending stays hidden until month-end, when it's too late to fix.
Sales, tips, and delivery apps that never quite reconcile
Daily revenue flows through a POS, third-party delivery apps, gift cards, and tips — each with its own fees and payout timing. Tying all of it back to the bank is tedious and easy to get wrong.
Sales tax across menu categories and locations
Prepared food, alcohol, and to-go orders can be taxed differently, and opening a second location can create brand-new filing obligations. Mistakes invite penalties and interest.
Multi-location performance you can't compare
When each store keeps its own books, it's nearly impossible to see which location actually makes money — or to make staffing and menu decisions on real numbers.
How Laya helps Restaurants
Prime cost and margin tracking
We structure your chart of accounts around food cost, labor cost, and prime cost so each monthly close shows them as a percentage of sales — and flags the location, daypart, or menu category dragging your margin.
Daily sales and POS reconciliation
We reconcile POS deposits, delivery-app payouts (DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub), gift cards, and tips against your bank, so revenue and delivery costs are accurate and nothing slips through the cracks.
Sales tax registration and filing
We register you where you have obligations, calculate tax across taxable categories — including prepared food and alcohol where applicable — and file on schedule so you stay penalty-free as you grow.
Multi-location reporting
Consolidated and location-level P&Ls let you compare stores side by side and make staffing, menu, and expansion decisions on facts instead of gut feel.
What's included
- Monthly close by the 10th business day
- Food, labor, and prime cost reporting
- POS and delivery-app reconciliation
- Sales tax registration and filing (add-on)
- Location-level and consolidated P&Ls
- Vendor and accounts payable tracking
- Year-end books ready for tax filing
Frequently asked questions
How do you handle third-party delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats?
We reconcile each platform's payouts — net of commissions, marketing fees, and adjustments — back to your bank and book them to the right revenue and expense accounts, so your sales and delivery costs reflect reality.
Can you track food cost and labor cost as a percentage of sales?
Yes. We build your books around prime cost, so every monthly close shows food cost %, labor cost %, and prime cost % — broken out by location if you run more than one.
Do you handle restaurant sales tax?
We register you where you have obligations, calculate tax across taxable categories (including prepared food and alcohol where applicable), and file on your required schedule. Sales tax is available as a $100/month add-on.
I have multiple locations — can you report on each one?
Yes. You receive a consolidated P&L plus a separate P&L for each location, so you can compare performance and see exactly which stores are profitable.
How fast are my books closed each month?
By the 10th business day of the following month, every month — so you're managing on fresh numbers, not data that's 45 days old.
Do I need to use QuickBooks Online?
Yes. Laya runs on QuickBooks Online as the source of truth, with your POS, bank accounts, and delivery apps connected digitally.
Ready to get your books in order?
Book an intro and we'll show you exactly how Laya works for Restaurants.
Book an Intro