Weekly Financial Review Template for Restaurants

Published on January 21, 2025 | 8 min read

Most restaurant owners wait until month-end to look at their numbers. By then, it's too late to fix problems. A weekly financial review catches issues early, keeps you on track, and takes just 30 minutes.

This guide gives you a simple, repeatable template you can use every Monday morning to review last week's performance and plan for the week ahead.

Why Weekly Reviews Matter

Monthly reviews are too slow. Here's what happens when you wait:

• Food costs spike: You don't notice vendor price increases until you've overpaid for 4 weeks.
• Labor creeps up: Overstaffing or excessive overtime compounds.
• Cash flow surprises: You think you're profitable, then realize you can't make payroll.
• Missed opportunities: A menu item is selling great, but you don't order more ingredients in time.

Weekly reviews give you real-time visibility and the ability to course-correct fast.

When to Do Your Weekly Review

Best time: Monday morning, 9–10 AM, before the week gets busy.

What you need:

• Last week's sales data (from your POS)
• Last week's cash-outs (from your tracking system)
• Last week's invoices (vendor bills)
• Last week's labor hours and payroll
• A quiet 30 minutes

The 7-Step Weekly Review Template

Step 1: Review Sales (5 minutes)

What to check:

• Total sales for the week
• Sales by day (which days were strong/weak?)
• Sales by category (food, beverage, to-go)
• Average check size
• Number of covers (guests served)

Questions to ask:

• Are we up or down vs. last week?
• Are we up or down vs. same week last year?
• Did we hit our weekly sales target?
• Any unusual spikes or dips? (weather, event, holiday)

Step 2: Review Food Cost (5 minutes)

Formula:

Food Cost % = (Food Purchases ÷ Food Sales) × 100

Target: 28–35% depending on your concept.

Step 3: Review Labor Cost (5 minutes)

Formula:

Labor Cost % = (Total Labor ÷ Sales) × 100

Target: 30–35%

Step 4: Check Prime Cost (3 minutes)

Formula:

Prime Cost = Food Cost + Labor Cost
Prime Cost % = (Prime Cost ÷ Sales) × 100

Target: Keep under 60–65%

Step 5: Review Cash Flow (5 minutes)

What to check:

• Cash in bank (checking account balance)
• Outstanding invoices (what you owe vendors)
• Upcoming payroll
• Rent/fixed costs due this week

Step 6: Spot-Check Key Metrics (3 minutes)

Quick wins to track:

• Waste log: Did we throw away more than usual?
• Voids/comps: Any unusual spikes?
• Credit card fees: Within 2–3% of card sales?
• Top-selling items: Are we running out?
• Slow-selling items: Should we 86 something?

Step 7: Set Goals for This Week (4 minutes)

Write down 2–3 specific goals:

• Sales target: "Hit $19,000 this week."
• Cost target: "Keep food cost under 31%."
• Operational: "Reduce overtime to under 10 hours."

Weekly Review Template (Copy-Paste)

WEEKLY FINANCIAL REVIEW
Week of: [Date]
Reviewed by: [Your Name]

1. SALES
   Total Sales: $______
   vs. Last Week: _____%
   Covers: ______
   Avg Check: $______

2. FOOD COST
   Food Purchases: $______
   Food Cost %: _____%
   Target: 30%

3. LABOR COST
   Total Labor: $______
   Labor %: _____%
   Target: 33%

4. PRIME COST
   Prime Cost %: _____%
   Target: <65%

5. CASH FLOW
   Bank Balance: $______
   Payroll Due: $______
   Bills Due: $______

6. GOALS FOR THIS WEEK
   1. _______________
   2. _______________
   3. _______________

ACTION ITEMS:
- [ ] _______________
- [ ] _______________

Advanced: Monthly Deep Dive

Once a month (first Monday), expand your review:

• Full P&L review: Compare to budget and last year
• Menu analysis: Which items are most/least profitable?
• Vendor review: Are we getting the best prices?
• Staff performance: Sales per labor hour by employee
• Marketing ROI: Which promotions worked?

Tools to Make This Easier

• POS reports: Toast, Square, Clover all have weekly summary reports
• Accounting software: QuickBooks, Xero for P&L and cash flow
• Simple tracking: Restro Manager gives you real-time P&L, daily summaries, and weekly email digests
• Spreadsheet template: Google Sheets or Excel with the template above

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping weeks: Consistency is key. Block 30 minutes every Monday.
• Only looking at sales: Sales can be up while profit is down. Always check costs.
• Not acting on insights: Pick one action item each week.
• Comparing apples to oranges: Compare week-to-week and year-over-year.

Conclusion

A 30-minute weekly review is the single best habit you can build as a restaurant owner. It keeps you informed, helps you catch problems early, and ensures you're always moving toward your goals.

Start this Monday. Use the template above. After 4 weeks, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it.

Want automated weekly summaries delivered to your inbox? Try Restro Manager — get sales, expenses, and profit breakdowns every Monday morning, with zero manual entry.