Sample result
Daily Cash Desk Checklist Builder for Restaurants
The owner asked this:"I have two locations in Medellín, one till per location, and I sell 214,000,000 COP a month across the dining room, my own delivery and a platform. I need the daily cash sheet that Volume 4 left to be built, with the tolerance in pesos and the leaks in plain sight."
① The money route
Four hands between the check and the bank, and every one signs. The route is the same in both locations, and every moment leaves its form behind:
| Moment | Who | Signature | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Cashier | Cashier and location manager (FOR-CAJ-01) | 11:20 to 11:35 |
| Cash drop | Cashier and location manager | Two signatures on the envelope | Once the drawer passes 1,000,000 COP without the float |
| Handover | Outgoing cashier and whoever takes over | Two signatures; the manager verifies (FOR-CAJ-02) | 15:00 to 15:15 |
| Closing count | Cashier | Cashier and location manager (FOR-CAJ-02) | From the last check: 25 min |
| Envelope and safe | Cashier seals; manager stores | Two signatures across the seal (FOR-CAJ-06) | Before 21:45; Sunday, 17:45 |
| Deposit | Administrative assistant | Receipt and bank slip (FOR-CAJ-06) | Next business day, 08:30 to 11:00 |
| Platform | Administrative assistant | FOR-DOM-05 | Monday, 10:00 |
One till per location and one supervisor code, the location manager's. The till is open 58.5 hours a week and the cashier works 42: the remaining 16.5 hours are covered by the dining-room lead with their own code and their own count.
The rule that holds the route up: whoever counts never verifies, and whoever authorises never applies. The cashier counts and the manager signs second; the manager authorises with their code and the cashier records.
② The count and the tolerance in pesos
The formula, with its three terms: expected cash = cash sales in the system + change float − cash drops. Cash tips do not go in: they go to their own envelope.
The tolerance is in pesos, not in "as long as it balances": 0.5 % of each shift's sales. With 104 shifts a month (2 locations × 26 days × 2 shifts) and 214,000,000 COP in sales, the average shift sells 2,057,692 COP and its tolerance is 10,288 COP.
A sample shift (illustrative):
| Item | Point of sale (COP) | Counted (COP) | Difference (COP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected cash (514,423 + 400,000 − 0) | 914,423 | 911,000 | −3,423 |
| Card (terminal batch) | 1,131,731 | 1,131,731 | 0 |
| Transfer or QR | 411,538 | 411,538 | 0 |
| Shift sales, without the float | 2,057,692 | 2,054,269 | −3,423 (−0.17 %) |
The difference ladder. Above tolerance, a full recount by both people within 15 minutes. Above 2 times (20,576 COP), the manager reads the shift's voids before signing. Above 5 times (51,440 COP), nobody leaves the location.
The difference nobody adds up: a 2,000 COP shortfall per shift is 208,000 COP a month. That is why it is written down with its sign even when inside: the tolerance is not a budget.
③ The four leak boxes and the month-end close
| Leak | Authorises | Ceiling | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discounts | Management creates the promotion; the manager enters their code | None above 15 % of the check (proposal) | Outside a promotion, reversed and charged |
| Voids and comps | Location manager, with their code | Voids: 0.5 % of the month (535,000 COP per location). Comps: 1 % (1,070,000 COP) and 72,000 COP per table | Without a code, reversed or charged |
| Tips | The owner sets the split rule | 0 COP inside expected cash | Split on Tuesday at 11:30 |
| Channel reconciliation | General administrator | Anything outstanding is claimed at 30 days | Written off at 60 days only with the owner's signature |
Why discounts have a ceiling. 15 % off a 48,000 COP check leaves it at 40,800 COP with the same 16,320 COP ingredient cost. The contribution drops from 31,680 to 24,480 COP, 22.7 %. To earn the same you have to sell 29.4 % more checks.
The reference month (illustrative): count shortfalls, 208,000 COP; voids without a code, 2,496,000 COP; comps brought from 1 % down to 0.5 %, 1,070,000 COP; unclaimed platform adjustments, 432,000 COP. Total, 4,206,000 COP: 32.8 % of the 12,840,000 COP monthly target. The platform's commission is not a leak, it is the price of the channel.
The full example has 2 more part(s): you see them inside the library, with your account.