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CFO Services · Restaurants · Ontario · Licensed CPA

CFO Services for Restaurants

Part-time, fractional CFO support built for restaurants, bars and food-service operators across Ontario. Get the cash flow control, food and labour cost discipline, and forward planning of a full-time CFO, without the full-time salary. Delivered on a clear monthly engagement by a licensed CPA firm.

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Fully Licensed CPA Ontario

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1300+ ★★★★★
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60-Day Fees-Matching Policy

ACTIVELY ACCEPTING
Restaurant Clients

Cash flow, cost control, forecasting, reporting

Convenient Availability

Weekend and evening support until 9 PM

Restaurant CFO Specialists

Prime cost, covers, margins, multi-location

Restaurants Run on the Thinnest Margins in Business

A few points of food cost, a slip in labour percentage, or a cash crunch between rent and payroll can turn a profitable month into a loss. Most restaurant owners live in the kitchen and the dining room, not the spreadsheet, and that is exactly where a CFO earns their place. The numbers are there; the gap is turning them into weekly decisions.

We give you a senior financial partner who reads your numbers the way a chef reads a pass: prime cost, food cost percentage, labour percentage, covers, average cheque, and the cash position that ties it all together. We turn your restaurant bookkeeping into decisions, so you know which locations, menu items and shifts make money, and which quietly drain it. Fractional CFO support, scaled to your restaurant, on a clear monthly engagement.

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Gondaliya CPA team - CFO services for restaurants

CFO Services for Restaurants

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Cash Flow Management

Forecast and manage the cash that gets you from rent to payroll to supplier terms, so you are never caught short.

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Food & Labour Cost Control

Track prime cost, food cost and labour percentage against targets and pinpoint where margin leaks.

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Menu & Location Profitability

See which menu items, day-parts and locations make money, so pricing and expansion are data-driven.

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Budgeting & Forecasting

Realistic budgets and rolling forecasts tuned to seasonality, so you plan staffing and purchasing with confidence.

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Financing & Growth Support

Lender-ready financials and projections for a new location, renovation or equipment purchase.

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KPI Dashboards & Reporting

Clear monthly reporting on prime cost, covers, average cheque and cash runway, so you always know where you stand.

How Our Restaurant CFO Engagement Works

A clear, structured process that turns your restaurant’s numbers into decisions, month after month. AFFORDABLE flat monthly engagement.

1

Discovery & Financial Review

We start with a free consultation to understand your restaurant, then review where you really stand.

  • Understand your concept, locations, format and goals for the year.
  • Review your financials, POS data and current bookkeeping.
  • Identify where cash and margin are under pressure today.
  • Confirm the state of the books that the CFO work will rely on.
  • Map the scope so the engagement fits your size and needs.
2

Set Your Targets and KPIs

We agree the metrics that matter for your concept and set realistic targets to manage against.

  • Define prime cost, food cost and labour percentage targets.
  • Set covers, average cheque and cash runway benchmarks.
  • Choose location-level and day-part reporting where relevant.
  • Agree the KPI dashboard you will see each month.
  • Tie targets to the decisions they will drive.
3

Clean Up the Foundation

Accurate CFO insight needs accurate books. We make sure the numbers can be trusted.

  • Confirm bookkeeping, HST and reporting are clean and current.
  • Separate food, alcohol and delivery-platform revenue correctly.
  • Reconcile accounts so the figures stand up to scrutiny.
  • Fix gaps that would distort the CFO reporting.
  • Run ongoing bookkeeping where you want it bundled in.
4

Build Forecasts and Dashboards

We build the forward-looking tools that let you see around corners.

  • Build a rolling cash flow forecast tuned to your seasonality.
  • Set an annual budget reviewed against actuals.
  • Create the monthly KPI dashboard for your restaurant.
  • Model day-part and location performance where it applies.
  • Make the numbers readable so you can act on them.
5

Monthly Reporting and Strategy

Each month we deliver clear reporting and meet to turn it into decisions.

  • Deliver management reporting on the metrics that matter.
  • Walk through what the numbers mean in a strategy meeting.
  • Recommend pricing, menu, staffing and purchasing actions.
  • Flag cash crunches and slow seasons before they hit.
  • Track progress against your targets month over month.
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Ongoing Financial Leadership

We act as your on-call financial partner for the decisions that matter most.

  • Available for the big calls: financing, a new site, a tough season.
  • Prepare lender-ready numbers when you need to borrow.
  • Model expansion before you commit the capital.
  • Keep bookkeeping, HST and the corporate return tied together.
  • One firm managing the whole restaurant financial file.

Free Restaurant CFO Consultation

Pick a Time That Suits You

Case Studies: Restaurant CFO Work

Illustrative of the outcomes we help restaurant operators reach. These describe the kind of results our CFO work delivers, not a specific client file.

Full-Service Restaurant, Toronto

A busy single location was profitable on paper but constantly short on cash. By tracking prime cost weekly and tightening food and labour percentages against clear targets, the owner recovered several points of margin and finally had cash breathing room between rent and payroll. Get Started →

Prime cost controlled. Cash flow stabilized.

Full-Service Restaurant, Mississauga

An operator assumed its best-selling dishes were its most profitable. A menu-engineering analysis showed several popular items were barely breaking even after food cost. Repricing and menu redesign lifted overall margin without losing covers.

Menu repriced. Margin lifted.

Two-Location Operator, Vaughan

A two-location operator could not tell which site carried the business. Location-level reporting revealed one quietly subsidising the other. With the numbers visible, the owner fixed the underperformer’s labour model instead of guessing.

Location reporting. Underperformer fixed.

Restaurant Group, Brampton

An operator ready to open a second location needed lender-ready financials and projections. We prepared the cash flow forecast and the numbers behind the expansion in the format the bank expected, and the financing came through.

Projections delivered. Expansion funded.

The Restaurant Numbers a CFO Watches

A good CFO does not just produce statements; they manage the specific metrics that decide whether a food-service business makes money.

MetricWhy It Decides Your Profit
Prime costFood cost plus labour combined. The single most important number in a restaurant; keeping it in target range is where profit lives or dies.
Food cost percentageIngredients as a share of sales. Small slips from waste, theft, portioning or supplier price creep quietly erode margin.
Labour cost percentageWages as a share of sales. Over-scheduling a slow shift turns a profitable day into a loss.
Average cheque & coversHow much each guest spends and how many you serve. Together they drive revenue and reveal whether pricing or traffic is the lever.
Cash runwayHow long your cash lasts given the timing of rent, payroll and supplier terms. The number that keeps owners up at night.
Contribution by menu itemWhat each dish contributes after its food cost. The basis of menu engineering and smart pricing.

Most restaurants have this data and never use it. Your POS and bookkeeping already hold the numbers; the gap is turning them into “raise this price, cut this shift, drop this item.” That translation is exactly what our CFO service does.

Restaurant CFO Support by Stage

Your SituationWhat We Focus OnTypical Priority
Single busy locationMonthly reporting, KPI tracking, cash flow visibilityRecover margin and stabilise cash
Growing restaurantForecasting, margin analysis, pricing and strategy meetingsProtect profit while you scale
Multi-location groupLocation-level reporting, consolidated forecasting, leadershipSee which sites earn and which drag
Planning expansion or financingLender-ready projections, expansion modellingFund growth with credible numbers

No matter your stage: the right level of CFO support is the one matched to your size this year. We scale it up only as your restaurant grows, so you never pay for more than you need.

What Our Restaurant CFO Engagement Includes

AreaWhat You Get
Monthly financial reportingClear management reports with the restaurant KPIs that matter, delivered and explained each month.
Cash flow forecastingA rolling forecast so you can see slow seasons and cash crunches coming and plan around them.
BudgetingAn annual budget tuned to your concept and seasonality, reviewed against actuals.
Cost & margin analysisFood cost, labour and prime cost tracking against targets, with the actions to fix variances.
Strategy meetingsRegular sessions to walk through the numbers and the decisions, from pricing to staffing to growth.
Financing & expansion supportLender-ready projections and the analysis behind a new location, renovation or equipment purchase.
Bookkeeping & tax (optional)We can run your bookkeeping, HST and corporate return alongside the CFO work so everything ties together.
On-call financial leadershipA senior CPA available for the big decisions, not just at month-end.

Signs Your Restaurant Needs a CFO

  • You are busy and the dining room is full, but the bank balance never seems to reflect it
  • You do not know your prime cost, food cost percentage or labour percentage week to week
  • Cash is tight between rent and payroll and you are not sure why
  • You are thinking about a second location but cannot model whether it works
  • You suspect some menu items or shifts lose money but cannot prove which
  • A lender or investor wants projections you cannot produce
  • You make pricing and staffing decisions on instinct rather than numbers
  • Your bookkeeping is behind, so you cannot trust the numbers you do have
  • You have no forecast, so slow seasons catch you by surprise
  • You want a senior financial partner without a full-time CFO salary
  • You run a group and cannot see which location actually earns
  • You want one firm to handle CFO, bookkeeping, HST and tax together

Give Your Restaurant a CFO

Cash flow, cost control and forecasting on a clear monthly engagement. 30-Day Money-Back.

Know Your Exact Fee

Why Restaurants Choose Gondaliya CPA for CFO Support

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Restaurant Focus

Prime cost, covers, day-parts and food-service economics, not generic accounting.

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Senior CPA Insight

Fractional CFO leadership scaled to your size, without a full-time salary.

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Clear Monthly Fee

Transparent monthly engagement. No hourly. 30-Day Money-Back. 60-Day Fees-Matching.

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1300+ Reviews

Canada’s most AFFORDABLE CPA. Flat fees for every service.

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Restaurant CFO Pricing

CFO support is scoped to your restaurant’s size and needs, so a single café differs from a multi-location group. We confirm a clear fixed monthly fee after a short scoping call. All fees include HST.

Engagement LevelBest ForMonthly Fee
EssentialsA single location wanting monthly reporting, KPI tracking and cash flow visibilityFixed monthly retainer, confirmed on scoping
GrowthA busy or growing restaurant needing forecasting, margin analysis and strategy meetingsFixed monthly retainer, scoped to the work
Multi-Location / AdvisoryGroups or operators planning expansion, financing or deeper financial leadershipCustom monthly retainer by locations and scope

Why we scope rather than quote one flat number: unlike a corporate tax return, CFO work depends on how many locations you run, the state of your books and how deep the financial leadership goes. We give you a clear fixed monthly fee after a short call, with no hourly billing.

Know Your Exact CFO Fee Before We Start

AFFORDABLE flat monthly fee. 30-Day Money-Back. 60-Day Fees-Matching.

Calculate My Fee

CFO Services for Other Industries

Construction
Job costing, WIP, cash flow, margins
Trucking & Transport
Per-mile costs, fuel, fleet, financing
Real Estate
Project cash flow, financing, reporting
All Industries
Fractional CFO services across sectors

Frequently Asked Questions: Restaurant CFO Services

What is a fractional CFO for a restaurant?
A fractional CFO is a senior financial leader who works with your restaurant part-time, giving you the financial control, forecasting and strategy of a full-time CFO without the full-time salary. You get the expertise scaled to your size and budget.
Does my restaurant really need a CFO?
If you cannot see your prime cost weekly, cash is tight despite being busy, or you are planning to grow, a CFO usually pays for itself. The service is about turning the numbers you already have into decisions that protect and grow your margin.
What is the difference between a CFO and a bookkeeper or accountant?
A bookkeeper records transactions and an accountant prepares statements and files taxes. A CFO uses those numbers to lead, forecasting cash, managing margins, and guiding pricing, staffing and expansion. We can provide all three so they work together.
What is prime cost and why does it matter so much?
Prime cost is food cost plus labour cost combined, and it is the single most important number in a restaurant. Keeping it within target range is where profit is made or lost. We track it closely and act on it, rather than discovering problems at year-end.
How much do CFO services cost for a restaurant?
CFO support is a monthly engagement scoped to your size and needs, so a single café differs from a multi-location group. We confirm a clear fixed monthly fee after a short scoping call, with no hourly billing. All fees include HST. Know Your Exact Fee →
Why is CFO pricing not a single flat number?
Unlike a corporate tax return, CFO work depends on how many locations you run, the state of your books and how deep you want the support to go. We scope it on a short call and then give you a fixed monthly fee, so you know exactly what you pay.
Can you help me control my food and labour costs?
Yes, that is core to the service. We track food cost percentage and labour percentage against targets, pinpoint where margin is leaking, whether waste, portioning, supplier creep or over-scheduling, and give you the actions to fix it.
Can a CFO help me decide whether to open a second location?
Yes. We model the economics of a new location, prepare the projections, and show you whether the numbers work and what it takes to fund it. Expansion decisions are exactly where CFO analysis prevents an expensive mistake.
Do you provide lender-ready financials for restaurant financing?
Yes. We prepare the cash flow forecasts, projections and financial packages that banks and investors expect, presented in their format. Strong, credible numbers materially improve your chances of getting funded.
Will you tell me which menu items make money?
Yes. Through menu engineering we show what each dish contributes after its food cost, so you can reprice, redesign or remove items based on profit rather than popularity. Best-sellers are not always the most profitable, and the data reveals it.
How often will we meet?
Most engagements include regular monthly strategy meetings to walk through the reporting and the decisions, with availability for bigger questions in between. The cadence is set to your needs and engagement level when we scope the work.
Do I need clean bookkeeping before CFO work starts?
CFO insight is only as good as the books beneath it, so accurate, current bookkeeping is the foundation. If your books need work, we clean them up first, and we can run the ongoing bookkeeping so the numbers stay reliable. Catch-Up Bookkeeping →
Can you also handle my bookkeeping and taxes?
Yes. We can run your restaurant bookkeeping, HST and corporate tax return alongside the CFO work, so everything ties together under one firm and nothing falls between providers. Bundling often makes the whole engagement more efficient.
What KPIs will you report on?
The metrics that drive food-service profit: prime cost, food cost percentage, labour percentage, average cheque, covers, cash runway and contribution by menu item. We tailor the dashboard to your concept so you see what actually matters.
I run a single location, is this overkill for me?
Not at all. The Essentials level is built for single locations that want monthly reporting, KPI tracking and cash flow visibility without a full CFO budget. Many of the biggest margin gains we find are in single, busy restaurants.
How quickly will I see results?
Early reporting and KPI visibility usually surface quick wins within the first month or two, often in food cost, labour scheduling or pricing. Deeper structural gains build over the following months as forecasting and discipline take hold.
Do you work with bars, cafés and food trucks too?
Yes. The same food-service economics apply across full-service restaurants, bars, pubs, cafés, quick-service, catering and food trucks. We tailor the metrics and reporting to your specific format and revenue model.
Can you help a restaurant that is losing money?
Yes, and that is often when CFO support matters most. We identify where cash and margin are leaking, build a realistic recovery plan around prime cost and cash flow, and give you the visibility to act before a difficult situation becomes a crisis.
Is this a long-term commitment?
It is an ongoing monthly engagement because financial leadership is most valuable continuously, but we keep terms clear and fair. We would rather earn the relationship each month than lock you in. The scope and terms are agreed up front.
Do you use my existing POS and accounting systems?
Yes. We work with the data from your existing POS and accounting software wherever possible, and advise on improvements where the setup is holding back good reporting. The goal is to use what you have to produce decisions.
What makes a restaurant CFO different from a general one?
Restaurant finance has its own language and rhythm, prime cost, covers, day-parts, seasonality and razor-thin margins. We manage those specifics rather than applying generic business metrics, which is what makes the insight genuinely useful to an operator.
Will you help with budgeting for a renovation?
Yes. We build the budget and cash flow impact of a renovation, model how it affects your runway, and prepare the numbers if you need financing. You go into the project knowing what it costs and how the business absorbs it.
How is this different from hiring a full-time CFO?
A full-time CFO is a significant salary most independent restaurants cannot justify. A fractional CFO gives you the same senior expertise for the hours you actually need, at a fraction of the cost, scaling up only as your business grows.
Can you support a small restaurant group?
Yes. For multi-location operators we provide location-level reporting so you can see which sites earn and which drag, consolidated forecasting, and the financial leadership to manage and grow the group with clear visibility.
Are you a licensed CPA firm?
Yes. Gondaliya CPA Professional Corporation is a licensed CPA firm in good standing, dual-credentialed in Canada and the USA, serving business clients only. You can verify our standing directly with CPA Ontario.
Do you only work with restaurants in Toronto?
No. We deliver CFO services virtually to restaurants and food-service operators across Ontario and Canada. Remote delivery means you get senior CPA expertise wherever your restaurant is located, without a local premium.
What if I just need help for a few months?
We can scope a focused engagement around a specific need, such as a turnaround, a financing round or an expansion analysis. Tell us the goal on the consultation and we will shape the support and the term around it.
Can you help me set menu prices?
Yes. We base pricing on the actual contribution of each item after food cost, alongside your covers and average cheque, so price changes protect margin without driving guests away. Pricing on data rather than instinct is one of the fastest wins we deliver.
Will CFO support help me through a slow season?
Yes. Forecasting shows a slow season coming, and we plan staffing, purchasing and cash around it so the dip does not become a crisis. Managing seasonality is one of the clearest reasons restaurants value a CFO on call.
How do I get started?
Book a free consultation. We review where your restaurant’s margins and cash flow stand, show you exactly how CFO support would help, and scope a clear fixed monthly fee. Most AFFORDABLE CPA for business clients in Canada. Book Free Consultation →

Meet Your Restaurant CFO Team

Sharad Gondaliya CPA

Sharad Gondaliya, CPA

Founder & Managing Director
Gondaliya CPA Professional Corporation

Sharad leads CFO engagements with a focus on the cash flow and margin discipline that keeps restaurants profitable, from prime cost control to financing and expansion.

Vandana Goel CPA

Vandana Goel, CPA

Senior Accountant
Gondaliya CPA Professional Corporation

Vandana ensures the numbers behind every CFO engagement are accurate and current, reconciling POS, delivery-platform sales, HST and payroll so decisions rest on reliable data.

What Our Clients Say

1300+ five-star reviews from business owners across Ontario and Canada.

10 Ways a CFO Strengthens Your Restaurant

These are the moves that protect your margin, free up cash, and turn your restaurant’s data into better decisions.

  • 1Track prime cost weeklyFood cost plus labour is your most important number. Watching it weekly catches margin slips in days, not at year-end, and protects the figure that decides whether the month is profitable.
  • 2Forecast cash flow aheadA rolling forecast shows slow seasons and cash crunches before they hit, so rent and payroll are always covered and you are never caught short between supplier terms.
  • 3Engineer your menu by profitReprice and redesign around what each dish actually contributes after food cost, not just what sells. Best-sellers are not always your most profitable items.
  • 4Align labour to demandSchedule against forecast covers and day-parts so labour percentage stays in target on every shift, turning over-staffed slow periods back into profit.
  • 5Report at the location levelFor a group, location-level numbers reveal which sites earn and which quietly drag, so you fix the underperformer instead of guessing across the whole business.
  • 6Review suppliers and wasteSpot food-cost creep from price increases, portioning and waste, and act on it. A point or two of food cost recovered drops straight to the bottom line.
  • 7Prepare lender-ready numbersCredible projections and financials win financing for renovations, equipment or a new site. Banks fund operators who can show where the cash comes from.
  • 8Model expansion before you commitTest whether a second location works on paper, with realistic projections, before you sign a lease or spend the capital. Modelling prevents the expensive mistake.
  • 9Run a monthly KPI dashboardA clear dashboard of prime cost, covers, average cheque and cash runway means you always know where the business stands, and what to do about it.
  • 10Keep books and tax tied togetherWhen bookkeeping, HST and the corporate return sit with the same firm as the CFO work, the numbers always agree and nothing falls between providers.

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Give Your Restaurant a CFO

Cash flow control, cost discipline and financial leadership on a clear monthly engagement with a licensed CPA firm. AFFORDABLE flat fees.

Licensed CPA Ontario1300+ Five-Star Reviews30-Day Money-Back GuaranteeRestaurant CFO Specialists



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