I am looking for an
Accounting software program
Answers
What type of restaurant. Do you need hand held devices or are you using distributed stations. Do you have a bar area. Multiple cash drawers.
The list of questions goes on, as does the possible answers, software and hardware manufacturers as well as vendors.
Alan
Building off of Wayne's response, there are likely 2 sets of solutions:
1. front officesoftware to run the restaurant-point of sale, food/beverage purchasing & receipts, menu
2. back office: accounting, banking/credit card reconciliation, AP, GL etc.
Is it a one location business or are more locations likely?
etc., etc.
One location - no plans to expand. Family diner - serves breakfast and lunch, no dinners. No bar and owner will not install bar. Neighborhood diner. Does accept credit cards. One cash register, don't need hand held devices. Diner looks and has the decor of past diners (those in the 50s and 60s - the ambiance) - booths and tables, bar stools at counter. Has one computer, needs accounting software that has the ability to generate charts and graphs from accounting data. Needs a full accounting package (GL, AP, etc.) since this function will stay in house. So, she needs the back office service. She does catering as well.
Client owns the building - two-story with a tenant on the second floor. Only using one-half of the first floor. The other one-half will be a banquet hall. Owner started small; she has no plans to add locations or add another building to existing facility. She will expand her staff only as business dictates. Customers include college professors, students, business people and neighbors. Owner is very business savy and cost conscious.
She has no plans to add locations or expand into another building. Again, the neighborhood diner aspect is very important. She may expand the menu but not in the near future.
Do you want cloud or on-premise system?
1
I need an on-premise system.
If I may ask, why NOT
1
I understand from working with consultants to small businesses that QuickBooks is a one sided entry system. That won't help since the employee will be required to make manual entries also.
Alan, Not sure what your requirements are but QB does allow journal entries.
http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/articles/HOW12658
http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/pages/inproducthelp/Core/QB2K13/ContentPackage/Verticals/
1
Emerson:
The requirements are ease of operation. Need program where owner or selected employee can key entries into the system, balance sheet and P&L updated by the system. Also want the system to generate A/P checks, and be able to provide separate financials for diner and later the banquet facility. A nice other feature is the ability to keep inventory records.
I know this is a lot to ask, but the program needs the flexibility to provide all the relevant reports. This will obviously be done in-house.
Alan, It seems to me that your requirements are all supported/answered by Quickbooks. (i.e.Inventory module, POS, journal entries, A/P & checks, separate financials depending on how you structure the account numbering, on premises system)
I just do not understand why you would just rule out QB as it is still the "quasi" default accounting system for small businesses primarily because of cost, ease of use and in some limited sense, scalability. It seems to me (as per your post) you made a judgement on QB without really knowing what it is all about. There are a lot more accounting systems now for small businesses but most (if not all) are online based.
With the size of the operation of the business and limited (none?) expansion plans, I would recommend exploring Quickbooks first (and all it's product tiers and modules) before you even explore anything else. I will however say that once you begin to explore the other (on premise) systems, you are basically moving up to a higher tier, and a higher cost structure.
1
Emerson:
Thanks for the info. My ruling out QB was only from talking with people who used it. I trust their judgment from a "use" standpoint. I also asked a college accounting teacher about the "one-sided" entry; he agreed it was a problem. I will take a look at the QB application. Again, thanks for the information.
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