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Restaurants: problems we solve

27 problems restaurants bring us, each with the cause, what it costs and what we build to fix it.

Restaurants problems

27 articles

How Do We Stop Large Table No-Shows at Our Restaurant Without Chasing Every Group for a Deposit by Phone?

Restaurants

Independent restaurants lose covers when large tables no-show. We build a deposit and reconfirmation flow for group bookings that follows your own policy.

How Do We Stop Double Bookings When Our Restaurant Takes Reservations by Phone, Email, Instagram and Online?

Restaurants

Independent restaurants take bookings by phone, email, Instagram and online, and double book. We build one booking inbox that feeds your reservations diary.

How Can Our Restaurant Refill Last-Minute Cancellations From People Who Wanted a Table That Night?

Restaurants

Restaurants turn guests away, then get cancellations and seat nobody. We build a waitlist that offers freed tables to waiting guests by text, in order.

How Do We Collect Christmas Party Pre-Orders From Every Guest and Get Them to the Kitchen Without a Pile of Emails?

Restaurants

Restaurants chase festive party pre-orders by email and retype them. We build a pre-order link per party that feeds kitchen sheets and table plans.

Our Specials Board Changes Every Weekend: How Does the Allergen Folder Our Servers Use Keep Up?

Restaurants

Restaurant specials and weekend dishes outrun the allergen folder servers use. We build dish sheets generated from the chef's ingredient list, with sign-off.

How Do We Make Sure an Allergy Mentioned When a Guest Books Actually Reaches the Server and the Kitchen on the Night?

Restaurants

Restaurant allergy notes given at booking often never reach the server or kitchen. We build a flow that carries them onto the table plan and tickets.

How Do We Keep Track of Supplier Product Specifications When Wholesalers Substitute Items Without Telling Us?

Restaurants

Restaurant wholesalers substitute products and spec sheets go missing. We build a product register that flags substitutions on delivery notes and invoices.

How Can We Work Out Each Week's Tip Share for Front and Back of House Without a Fragile Spreadsheet and a Late Night?

Restaurants

Restaurant managers calculate tip shares weekly in a fragile spreadsheet. We build a tip allocation tool that applies your written policy to hours and totals.

Why Do Our Restaurant's Card Tips on the Terminal, the Till Report and the Bank Never Match?

Restaurants

Restaurant card tips differ between the card terminal, the till report and the bank. We build a daily reconciliation that matches all three and flags gaps.

How Do We Build Our Restaurant Rota Around the Covers We Actually Have Booked, Not Last Week's Rota?

Restaurants

Restaurant rotas are copied from last week, not built from bookings. We build a view of booked and expected covers beside the staff planned.

How Do We Stop Shift Swaps and Cover Requests Getting Lost in Our Restaurant's Staff WhatsApp Group?

Restaurants

Restaurant shift swaps are agreed in the staff group chat and never reach the rota. We build a swap request flow that updates the rota once a manager approves.

Why Is Someone in Our Restaurant Still Typing Every Butcher, Veg and Wine Invoice Into Xero by Hand?

Restaurants

Restaurants retype piles of supplier invoices into Xero each week. We build invoice capture that reads each supplier's invoices and posts them for approval.

How Can Our Restaurant Spot When a Supplier Quietly Charges More Than the Price We Agreed?

Restaurants

Restaurant suppliers raise prices line by line and nobody notices until margins slip. We build an invoice price check against your agreed prices and last paid.

How Do We Make Sure Our Restaurant Gets Credited for Short, Missing or Poor Quality Deliveries?

Restaurants

Restaurant deliveries arrive short or damaged and the credit never comes. We build a goods-in record that tracks each shortfall until it is credited.

How Do We Know What Each Dish on Our Restaurant Menu Really Costs Now That Ingredient Prices Keep Moving?

Restaurants

Restaurant dish costings are done at menu launch and never updated. We build recipe costing that refreshes from invoice prices so each dish's GP stays current.

How Can Our Head Chef Place Tomorrow's Orders With Six Suppliers Without Texting and Leaving Voicemails at Midnight?

Restaurants

Restaurant chefs order from several suppliers by text and voicemail after service. We build one order screen with par levels and bookings that sends each order.

How Do We Make Our Restaurant's Monthly Stocktake Quicker and Get a Food and Drink Cost We Can Trust?

Restaurants

Restaurant stocktakes are counted on clipboards and priced in a spreadsheet days later. We build a phone count by storage area, priced from recent invoices.

How Do We Make Our Restaurant's End-of-Night Cash Up Quicker and Find Out Why It Doesn't Balance?

Restaurants

Restaurant cash ups are done on paper after close and rarely balance. We build a guided cash up that pulls till and card totals and records each difference.

How Do We Keep Track of Our Restaurant's Gift Vouchers: Who Bought Them, What's Been Used and What's Expired?

Restaurants

Restaurant gift vouchers are sold on paper and tracked in a book. We build online vouchers with unique codes, redemption at the till and a live balance list.

How Do We Answer Private Dining and Exclusive Hire Enquiries Quickly So They Don't Book Somewhere Else?

Restaurants

Restaurant private dining enquiries wait days for a reply and go elsewhere. We build an enquiry flow with availability, menus, quotes and timed follow-ups.

How Can Our Restaurant Keep Up With Replying to Reviews on Google, Tripadvisor and OpenTable Without the Owner Doing It at Night?

Restaurants

Independent restaurant owners reply to Google and Tripadvisor reviews late at night. We build one review inbox with drafted replies in your voice.

How Do We Keep Our Restaurant's Menu the Same on the Website, Google, Booking Page and Printed Copy When It Keeps Changing?

Restaurants

Restaurant menus change and the website, Google profile and booking page fall behind. We build one menu source that updates every copy and the printed menu.

How Can Our Restaurant Kitchen Record What It Throws Away Without Slowing Service Down?

Restaurants

Restaurant kitchens bin prep, spoilage and returned plates without recording any of it. We build a quick waste log on a tablet that costs every entry.

How Do We Remember Our Restaurant Regulars' Favourite Table, Wine and Occasions When the Manager Who Knew Them Leaves?

Restaurants

Restaurant regulars' preferences live in one manager's memory. We build guest notes that surface favourite tables, wines and occasions when they book.

Why Do Our Restaurant's First Sitting Tables Overrun and Leave the Second Sitting Waiting at the Bar?

Restaurants

Restaurants book first sittings on guessed turn times and the second sitting waits at the bar. We build turn times from your own till and booking data.

How Do We Keep Track of Our Restaurant's Equipment Services, Faults and Engineer Call-Outs Without a Drawer Full of Job Sheets?

Restaurants

Restaurant equipment services and faults are tracked in a drawer of job sheets. We build an equipment log with service due dates, fault reports and call-outs.

How Can I See Last Night's Covers, Takings, Labour and No-Shows for My Restaurant in One Place Each Morning?

Restaurants

Restaurant owners piece together last night's numbers from the till, booking system, rota and card machine. We build one morning summary from all of them.