The Cash Flow Check is a guided questionnaire that helps you understand your restaurant's cash position without needing any accounting knowledge. You answer simple questions about your revenue and expenses, and the tool does all the calculations behind the scenes.
You don't need to know accounting. Just answer the questions in plain English.
The tool will help you understand:
Before starting, gather your best estimates for:
The tool is designed to work with estimates. As the footer says: "If you do not know, just give your best estimate. Skipping it impacts the accuracy of the final assessment."
The tool walks you through 20 screens of questions, one at a time. Each screen asks about a specific aspect of your restaurant's finances.
| Screen | Topic | What You'll Be Asked |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welcome | Introduction to the tool |
| 2 | Restaurant Basics | Days open per week, weeks per year |
| 3 | Sales | Typical monthly revenue (with estimator) |
| 4 | Seasonality | Busy and slow months |
| 5 | Sales Channels | Breakdown of dine-in, takeout, delivery, etc. |
| 6 | Food Costs | Monthly food and ingredient spending |
| 7 | Food Cost Volatility | How much food costs fluctuate |
| 8 | Payroll | Monthly employee payments |
| 9 | Rent & Occupancy | Rent and building-related costs |
| 10 | Other Bills | Insurance, fees, repairs, etc. |
| 11 | Receivables | Money owed to you |
| 12 | Payables | Bills you owe |
| 13 | Debt | Loans and debt payments |
| 14 | Cash in Bank | Current cash available |
| 15 | Owner Withdrawals | Money taken out by the owner |
| 16 | Upcoming Expenses | Large planned purchases |
| 17 | Your Concerns | What worries you most |
| 18 | Safety Cushion | How long you'd want to operate if sales drop |
| 19 | Review | Summary of all your answers |
| 20 | Dashboard | Your cash picture and insights |
| Button | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Next → | Move to the next question |
| ← Back | Return to the previous question |
| 💾 Save & come back | Save your progress and return later |
Click "Save & come back" at any time. Your answers are stored in your browser's local storage. When you reopen the tool, your progress will automatically resume where you left off.
If you don't know your exact monthly sales, the tool offers a "Let's estimate together" option on the Sales screen.
Enter these simple numbers:
Formula: Tables × Turnover × Meals × Ticket × Days = Monthly Revenue
After completing all questions and clicking "Show Me My Cash Picture", you'll see the Dashboard with your financial snapshot.
Four cards showing:
Shows how many months your current cash can sustain your restaurant. If expenses exceed income, it calculates the working capital needed for a typical 6-month break-even period.
Your percentages compared against typical restaurant benchmarks:
| Metric | Benchmark |
|---|---|
| Food Cost | ~30% of sales |
| Labor | ~30% of sales |
| Rent & Occupancy | ~20% of sales |
| Other Expenses | ~15% of sales |
| Debt Service | ~8% of sales |
If any metric is out of line, you'll see specific, actionable suggestions that:
A scenario table showing how your cash would change if sales dropped by 10% or 20%. This helps you understand your restaurant's resilience.
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Cash Cushion | How many months your cash would last at current spending levels |
| Food Cost % | Food spending ÷ Sales × 100 |
| Labor % | Payroll ÷ Sales × 100 |
| Prime Cost | Food Cost + Labor Cost (key restaurant metric) |
| Rent % | Rent ÷ Sales × 100 |
| Cash Left | Sales − Total Expenses (positive is good) |
A: No. The tool asks simple questions in plain English. It does all the financial calculations behind the scenes.
A: Give your best estimate. The tool accepts estimates and clearly labels them in the results.
A: The tool doesn't send data anywhere—everything stays in your browser. You can print the dashboard to share with your advisor.
A: The accuracy depends on the quality of your inputs. The tool clearly labels which numbers are estimates versus actual figures.
A: Yes. The tool is mobile-responsive and works on phones and tablets. Large buttons and text make it easy to use on touchscreens.
This guide is also available as a PDF when you print.