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Daily Cash Desk Checklist Builder for Restaurants
The owner asked this:"I have two cash desks, one per location, and the count comes out different every month with nobody able to say why. I bill 214,000,000 COP a month across the dining room, my own delivery and a delivery platform."
① The money route and the float
One written route, the same in both locations. Today the money at Sazón de Origen passes through four hands between the docket and the deposit, and nobody signs. Here is the route, with the rule that holds it up: whoever counts does not verify.
| Moment | Who | What is counted | Signature | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening | Shift cashier | 200,000 COP change float, denomination by denomination | Cashier and shift lead | 11:15 a.m. |
| Cash drop | Shift lead | Sealed envelope, once the drawer passes 400,000 COP | Whoever drops and whoever stores | On crossing the cap |
| Last charge | Shift cashier | Card terminal closed and batch total written down | Cashier | 3:20 p.m. |
| Count | Shift cashier | Cash, vouchers and transfer receipts | Cashier | 3:35 p.m. |
| Verification | Admin | Blind recount against the point-of-sale report | Whoever verifies | 3:50 p.m. |
| Deposit | Shift lead | Envelope with number, amount and destination | Whoever banks it | Before 5:00 p.m. |
Why a 200,000 COP float. With 74 covers per location per day, an average check of 48,000 COP and a menu between 28,000 and 72,000 COP, the change for a lunch shift is covered by 200,000 COP split into 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 notes. The float does not pay for delivery riders, groceries or anybody's taxi: every outflow that is not change breaks the count arithmetic and cannot be rebuilt. Illustrative figures, built from the data you gave.
② Tuesday's count sheet
Tuesday, Laureles location, lunch shift: 61 covers served and 2,928,000 COP in sales.
| Item | Point of sale | Counted | Difference | Signed explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash sales | 1,024,000 COP | — | — | — |
| Change float | 200,000 COP | 200,000 COP | 0 | Handed over 11:15 a.m. |
| Cash drops | −600,000 COP | −600,000 COP | 0 | One envelope, 1:40 p.m. |
| Expected cash | 624,000 COP | 620,500 COP | −3,500 COP | Overpaid change, table 7 |
| Cards | 1,312,000 COP | 1,312,000 COP | 0 | Batch closed 3:20 p.m. |
| Transfers | 342,000 COP | 342,000 COP | 0 | Three receipts |
| Delivery platform | 250,000 COP | — | Outstanding | Settles at 15 days |
| Tips, outside the count | 146,400 COP | 146,400 COP | 0 | Separate envelope, signed |
The arithmetic, written and not implied: expected cash = 1,024,000 + 200,000 − 600,000 = 624,000 COP. Counted, 620,500 COP. Difference, −3,500 COP: inside the 5,000 COP tolerance per shift, explained and signed by the cashier and by whoever verified.
What happens above tolerance. Between 5,000 and 20,000 COP it is explained in writing that same afternoon and two people sign. Over 20,000 COP the drawer does not close until the shift's voids and discounts are reviewed, and the shift lead signs. Tips —146,400 COP, 5 % of the shift's sales— were counted apart and never entered expected cash: mixing them is the quickest way to make a shortfall look like a balance. Illustrative figures.
③ The four leak boxes
The four boxes are the four doors money walks out of without the kitchen ever noticing.
| Leak | Who authorises | Ceiling | Evidence | Who reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discounts and comps | Shift lead, with a code in their name | 15 % of the check and 3 comps per shift | Reason on the docket and a report by person | Admin, next day |
| Void after the check is printed | Shift lead | 2 % of the shift's checks | Voided docket with written reason and signature | Admin, same day |
| Tips | A written rule, not a person | Published split, paid on the 5th | Envelope counted apart and a signed sheet | Whoever verifies the count |
| Channel reconciliation | Admin | Nothing outstanding at 30 days | Card batch, bank statement and payout | You, at month's end |
Two boxes were crossed on Tuesday. Of 24 checks in the shift, 2 were voided after printing —96,000 COP, 8.3 % against the 2 % ceiling— and both came from the same code, shared today by the four cashiers of both locations. Authorised discounts added up to 112,000 COP, 3.8 % of the shift's sales, inside the ceiling.
The separation rule, written as a criterion and not as suspicion of the team: whoever authorises the discount does not apply it, and whoever counts the cash is not the one who verifies it. With a code per person and rotation every 30 days, the discount report stops being a total and becomes a list with names. Illustrative figures.
The full example has 2 more part(s): you see them inside the library, with your account.