At the end of a long service, the last thing anyone wants is paperwork. But the two minutes you spend closing the till properly are what tell you whether the day actually made money, and whether the cash in the drawer matches what you sold. Skip it for a few weeks and small differences turn into a problem nobody can explain.
What a cash-up is for
- Catching mistakes early. Wrong change, a card payment rung up as cash, a refund nobody recorded.
- Protecting your team. A clear daily record means nobody is wrongly suspected when the numbers are off.
- Knowing your numbers. Daily sales, covers and average spend build a picture of your month without extra work.
The routine, step by step
- Print or open the till's end-of-day report. Note total cash sales, card sales and any delivery or other sales.
- Count the drawer before you look at what it should be. Counting "to a number" makes mistakes invisible.
- Work out what should be there: your opening float plus the day's cash sales, minus any cash paid out (for example a small purchase from the drawer, with its receipt).
- Compare. Counted minus expected gives you the over or short.
- Take out the takings and leave the float ready for tomorrow.
- Write it down: date, covers, cash, card, other sales, tips, counted cash and the difference, with a one-line note on anything unusual.
An example
| Date | Cash sales | Expected in drawer | Counted | Over / short |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep | €147.41 | €247.41 | €247.41 | €0.00 |
| 2 Sep | €188.66 | €288.66 | €287.16 | –€1.50 |
| 12 Sep | €301.20 | €401.20 | €389.20 | –€12.00 |
With a €100 float, €1.50 short is normal change-giving noise. €12 short deserves a look the same evening, while everyone still remembers the shift: check the till roll for a card payment entered as cash or a missed refund.
Rules that make it work
- Same time, same way, every day. A routine nobody has to think about is a routine that survives busy weeks.
- Set a tolerance. Decide what's "OK" (for example up to €2 either way) so small differences don't cause stress and big ones always get attention.
- Two people for the count when you can, especially on busy days.
- Keep the float the same. A fixed float makes the expected figure easy to check.
- Look for patterns, not one-offs. One short day is a mistake. Short every Saturday is a process problem.
What the daily numbers tell you each month
Thirty two-minute cash-ups add up to a useful monthly picture with no extra work:
- Average sales per day and which days carry the week
- Average spend per guest (total sales ÷ covers), one of the easiest numbers to grow
- Payment mix: how much comes in as cash, card or delivery
- Total over/short for the month
Make it a two-minute job
The Daily Cash-Up & Sales Log calculates the expected cash, the difference and the average spend per guest as you type, marks each day OK, Over or Short against your tolerance, and builds the monthly summary automatically. It's also part of the Restaurant Starter Kit.
Related
- Read: The Weekly Numbers Every Restaurant Manager Should Review
- Read: Deposits and Balance Terms for Private Events
- Also useful: 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast, see the weeks when rent, wages and VAT land together
Every template in Restaurant Notes is in the Complete Restaurant Collection: 25 tools in one download.