Cash flow forecasting for restaurant groups
| Wk 1 | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash in | 88 | 86 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 92 | 104 | 106 |
| Cash out | (108) | (100) | (141) | (118) | (123) | (110) | (91) | (85) |
| Ending cash | 240 | 226 | 170 | 138 | 102 | 84 | 97 | 118 |
| Minimum to keep | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Opening weeks: deposits, pre-opening payroll and inventory land together. Short $16k in week 6, then recovers as the new location ramps up. | ||||||||
Opening weeks: deposits, pre-opening payroll and inventory land together. Short $16k in week 6, then recovers as the new location ramps up.
Sample forecast for a fictional three-location restaurant group, in thousands of dollars. Opening cash: 260.
Daily sales keep cash moving, but opening a new location stacks build-out, deposits, pre-opening payroll and opening inventory into a few weeks, often before the new location earns anything. A forecast shows that stretch in advance.
Where cash gets tight
Openings stack costs. Build-out, equipment, deposits, hiring and training all hit before the doors open, while the existing locations carry the load.
Thin margins. A few slow weeks, or a large vendor bill landing early, can tighten cash quickly.
Several locations at once. Cash across locations can look fine in total while one location or one week is short.
What the forecast shows
- Cash by week across all locations, with each opening's costs on their real dates
- The low point around an opening, and how long the ramp-up takes
- Vendor, rent and payroll timing that you can move if needed
- How a second opening in the same year changes the picture
Every forecast is checked before delivery: opening cash ties to your bank balances, receivables and payables tie to your books, and every dollar lands in exactly one week. See services and pricing.
Questions
We already have an accountant. Why would we need this?
Your accountant handles the books, payroll and taxes, which look backward. A forecast looks forward. We work alongside your accountant, using the reports they already produce.
Can you forecast just one new opening?
Yes. A Single projection covers the 13 weeks around one opening, which is a good way to start.
Do you forecast each location separately?
The forecast can show each location and the combined total, depending on how your books are set up.