Financial Assessments

We improve your restaurant profitability.

Do you think you’re leaving money on the table? Our restaurant business consultants will help you find it by conducting a restaurant feasibility study for your restaurant.

All restaurant concepts should provide owners outstanding profits and an attractive return on investment. However, there is a great deal to balance in determining where to spend, or not spend, your money. Am I offering too much on my menu and driving up my recipe costing, or is the variety the appeal? Would having a larger building help with my occupancy, or will the costs be too high? How do I best balance the needs of my staff and customers with the needs of my bottom line?

If you are struggling with questions like these, let our restaurant business consultants and financial experts conduct a Profit and Loss Statement Review for you.

Our Restaurant Financial Analysis

Our team at Gilkey Restaurant Consulting will assist you every step of the way, from the initial assessment of your Profit and Loss Statement to a rollout of actionable solutions designed to leave more money in your pocket. We’ll compare your statement to your category segment, helping us identify specific industry paradigms and any leaks your money may be falling through.

While most restaurant business consultants stop there, Gilkey Restaurant Consulting goes one step further, providing a step-by-step set of solutions to improve your profitability based on our review of your restaurant. Our restaurant business consulting can help you understand specific ways you can improve your profitability, as well as supporting your brand during the implementation of these strategies. With in-depth financial assessment audits with Gilkey Restaurant Consulting, we can help you spend less and make more, resulting in a more sustainable, lucrative business.

A sampling of our best profit improvement methods include but are not limited to:

• Menu Engineering
• Recipe Costing
• Productivity Based Labor Management
• Structured Expense Budgeting
• Weekly Reporting and Measurement
• Occupancy Cost Improvements
• And more

Interested? Contact our restaurant consulting group to learn more and start your financial assessments today!

Restaurant Financial Assessment FAQs

What is a restaurant financial assessment?

When Gilkey Restaurant Consulting conducts a financial assessment for your restaurant business, we take a comprehensive look at your Profit & Loss Statements and supporting financial reports to determine variations as they relate to industry norms.. We benchmark your sales and costs against restaurants operating within the same category, then deliver a prioritized list of actionable steps to improve performance. Our recommendations may include adjusting your menu pricing, recipe costing, determining ideal labor productivity, and/or expense management, so you keep more cash. Many clients pair it with Operations Consulting.

What documents do you need for a restaurant financial assessment (P&L review)?

To complete a restaurant financial assessment, we typically request your last 3–12 months of P&Ls, POS sales mix reports, payroll/labor reports, inventory and COGS detail, vendor invoices, and fixed costs (rent, utilities, debt). The cleaner the data, the faster the insights. If your reporting tools aren’t talking to each other, our Technology Consulting can help.

How often should I do a restaurant financial assessment or P&L review?

Our recommendation is owners review their financial performance weekly. Timely reporting is essential to controlling costs. We recommend deeper quarterly analysis to validate menu pricing, labor productivity, and controllable expenses—then a comprehensive year-end review to spot trends and reset targets. Our article “The Year-End Restaurant Audit: What to Measure Before 2026” outlines what to track.

What metrics are reviewed in a restaurant financial assessment?

We focus on the numbers that move the needle: prime cost (food + labor), COGS accuracy, sales mix, contribution margins by menu item, labor productivity, and occupancy/operating expenses. From there we turn insights into action—menu pricing, recipe costing, and menu engineering. If your menu needs a refresh, explore Menu Development and read Menu Engineering: Designing a Profitable Menu That Sells.

Can a restaurant financial assessment help improve profitability before expansion or investors?

Yes. A restaurant financial assessment shows exactly why profit is missing—pricing, waste, scheduling, vendor costs, or overhead—so you can prioritize fixes fast. If you’re in a true turnaround, start with Restaurant Turnaround Consultants. If you’re raising capital or opening a second unit, pair the findings with our Business Plans and Investment Structure services to present credible projections.