Restaurant Month-End Close Checklist

A clean month-end isn't built at month-end. It's built by the daily discipline before it. Groups that close in days, not weeks, do the boring things every day — so the close becomes a review, not a rescue. Work top to bottom; the daily and revenue work is what makes everything below it fast.

1 · Daily — the foundation

• Post daily sales, every outlet
• Daily flash report issued (sales vs budget/LY at a glance)
• Clear the invoice/OCR inbox — capture and code supplier bills on arrival
• Clear draft transactions in the ledger (F&B and non-F&B)
• AR daily allocation — match receipts to invoices
• Clear the finance query/support queue and email chase-ups

2 · Weekly

• Review and reconcile the week's sales across outlets

3 · Revenue, cash & card (month-end)

• Finalise sales posting for every outlet; resolve any open sales queries
• Reconcile card receipts by scheme (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) to settlements
• Reconcile cash takings; validate Visa / Amex / cash receivable balances
• Reconcile payment-link and online-ordering receipts
• Confirm all cash-ups are approved
• Send float and cash-balance confirmation to the client

4 · Cost of sales & inventory

• Closing stock counts received from each site
• Stock values verified; COGS file prepared
• Purchase reco — check for and chase missing invoices
• Procurement paperwork followed up (uploads, consumption, closing stock)
• COGS & GP reviewed with the F&B team; margins vs target explained

5 · Purchases & payables (AP)

• Supplier invoices posted; drafts cleared
• Unapproved-bills (P2P) list sent to the client for approval
• Key supplier statements reconciled
• Debit balances checked and followed up
• Proforma / prepaid supplier ledger reviewed
• Credit notes and refunds chased and posted

6 · Receivables (AR)

• AR reconciliation updated
• Statements of account issued (SOA chaser out on the 1st)
• Account-client balances followed up
• Deposits, vouchers and pending-receipt list reviewed
• Cross-charge invoices raised and posted

7 · Cash & banking

• Bank statements requested for every account
• Every bank account reconciled to the ledger
• Card settlements and merchant fees reconciled

8 · Journals & adjustments

• Payroll journal posted and reconciled (from your payroll run — not run here)
• Depreciation and amortisation posted; fixed-asset register updated
• IFRS 16 lease entries posted
• Accruals and prepayments reviewed against the P&L
• Remaining monthly journals passed

9 · Intercompany (group)

• Intercompany balances agreed both sides
• Differences prepared and resolved
• Cross-charges raised, posted and eliminated

10 · Balance sheet review

• Control accounts reconciled (AR, AP, bank, VAT)
• Balance-sheet schedules prepared
• Fixed-asset register agreed
• Debit balances cleared or accrued

11 · Tax & statutory (UAE)

• VAT reconciliation updated and shared for approval; return filed on time
• Corporate-tax obligations addressed for eligible entities
• Municipality and tourism/authority fees filed and paid
• Revenue report submitted to landlord (where required)
• Licence renewals tracked (trade, alcohol) and annual subscriptions logged

12 · Reporting & review

• FS file updated with weekly actuals and budget figures
• FS file cross-checked to the ledger; all figures tallied
• Self review → internal review (two-tier, before it leaves)
• Draft account review with site GM / F&B; changes agreed
• Final file prepared; reporting pack issued / review meeting with head office

13 · Sign-off

• Numbers reviewed and approved
• Period locked
• Pack issued to owners / board

Companion guides: the Hospitality Reporting Calendar for the full daily-to-annual rhythm, Finance KPIs for Hospitality for the numbers to watch, and Opening a New Outlet: Finance Checklist for standing up a new site.