"We’re not involved in daily operations; and that's great"
We kept spreadsheets on Google Drive. Each venue had one or two files—at best they were linked. All invoices were entered manually. We sorted, copied, exported and reconciled them by hand. Errors were commonplace.
In 2017, CJ and his brother opened their first venue. Today they run five locations, a pub, a catering arm and a team of about 90 staff. At first glance it looks like a well-established gastro concept, but the road to a system that really works was anything but straight.
How it was:
How it was:
- They spent 10–20 hours a week buried in admin - manually entering data and fixing errors in Excel. Around 200 invoices per location.
- End-of-month stress, because they had no clear view of when big expenses were looming.
- “Low” error rate? More like an illusion - irregular invoice-to-payment matching led to dozens of typos and late payments.
- Payments were processed by hand each evening - which also invited mistakes.
“I used to manually enter invoices data into our bank system. In the evenings, tired. The same invoice twice, wrong account number, wrong payment reference. Classic.”
Error rates and Excel had reached breaking point
The brothers decided to look for a tool that would unify all their processes, eliminate manual work, and provide real-time visibility.
“The error rate was huge, that’s for sure. You’d often only get around to it at 10 PM, and more than once the payment reference was wrong or the account number was incorrect—and that’s the worst. In Zlín we were still operating under one LLC, so in the bank interface I have to switch between accounts and sometimes I’d accidentally pay from the wrong one.”
They came across Dishboard. Why this tool?
When testing multiple solutions, they were most impressed by Dishboard’s capabilities: automatically extracting invoices from a photo or email and uploading them into the system within seconds; an interactive cash-flow calendar; and the ability to generate bulk payment orders. After a pilot import of their initial historical documents and invoices—and verifying that the system could handle their volumes—they opted for a full rollout, which continued…
Complicated?
“I assumed it’d be really complicated, but that was my mistake. So one evening, under the pressure of it all, I carved out an hour to learn the system—and was pleasantly surprised. About a month later, I realised it’s far clearer, more streamlined, and much easier for me to manage everything this way.”
And from then on, it was straightforward
“The error rate was huge, that’s for sure. You’d often only get around to it at 10 PM, and more than once the payment reference was wrong or the account number was incorrect—and that’s the worst. In Zlín we were still operating under one LLC, so in the bank interface I have to switch between accounts and sometimes I’d accidentally pay from the wrong one.”
They came across Dishboard. Why this tool?
When testing multiple solutions, they were most impressed by Dishboard’s capabilities: automatically extracting invoices from a photo or email and uploading them into the system within seconds; an interactive cash-flow calendar; and the ability to generate bulk payment orders. After a pilot import of their initial historical documents and invoices—and verifying that the system could handle their volumes—they opted for a full rollout, which continued…
Complicated?
“I assumed it’d be really complicated, but that was my mistake. So one evening, under the pressure of it all, I carved out an hour to learn the system—and was pleasantly surprised. About a month later, I realised it’s far clearer, more streamlined, and much easier for me to manage everything this way.”
And from then on, it was straightforward
- Exporting historical records - They exported around 1,000 invoices from their accounting software and uploaded them into Dishboard.
- Setting up categories - They created custom groups (raw materials, utilities, payroll) for easy cost tracking.
- Key-user training - An online consultation took about an hour.
Yes, we certainly have better control over our finances now. Our cash-flow planning has improved too. We’ve got more breathing space, and I think it’s helping us with our finances overall.
What has changed?
- Each site now has its own dedicated email address for receiving invoices.
- All invoices are automatically extracted.
- Due dates are tracked automatically.
- Payments are sent in bulk – no manual entry required.
- Data is automatically categorised by both cost type and time period.
Top Features?
- Automatic invoice capture
- Bulk payment orders
- Custom expense categories
- No more manual Excel-filtering
CJ now has daily access to results, cash-flow, cost breakdowns and cross-venue comparisons—and, most importantly, the head-space to do something with the data.
“Before, we’d just dump everything into a spreadsheet. Now we look at what it actually means. We have the numbers that tell us where we’re efficient and where we’re not.”
“Today, we know something’s happening before it shows up in the bank account. And because of that, we have much greater peace of mind.”
“Before, we’d just dump everything into a spreadsheet. Now we look at what it actually means. We have the numbers that tell us where we’re efficient and where we’re not.”
- They work with the data every day
- They monitor trends by quarter, month and location
- They plan bonuses, investments, marketing and cash-flow
- They know exactly what the business can—and can’t—afford
“Today, we know something’s happening before it shows up in the bank account. And because of that, we have much greater peace of mind.”
If it didn’t deliver and wasn’t worth it, of course we wouldn’t carry on with this partnership. It’s saving us the equivalent of half a full-time role in both time and cost. And we can see exactly where our money is going.
Do you know how to calculate food cost correctly?
This metric can be worked out on several levels, including factoring in your inventory. Find out more in our in-depth food cost guide.
The greatest relief? Automated payments
Bulk payment orders rank among the most-loved features.
“This is a real game-changer for me. Sending 20 invoices at once, error-free and correctly reconciled, gives me peace of mind. No more manual work at 10 PM like before.”
What does this look like in practice?
“That we finally have the time and head-space to run the business, not just react to problems.”
“This is a real game-changer for me. Sending 20 invoices at once, error-free and correctly reconciled, gives me peace of mind. No more manual work at 10 PM like before.”
What does this look like in practice?
- Saving dozens of hours each month
- Fewer mistakes and duplicate payments
- More accurate reporting and visibility
- Better decisions made well before it’s too late
- The flexibility to scale up or slow down as needed
- More breathing space for the team, less day-to-day firefighting
“That we finally have the time and head-space to run the business, not just react to problems.”
And how is it now?
Dishboard has turned their Excel chaos into a seamless financial workflow. Beer Brothers have reclaimed hundreds of hours each year, eradicated their late-night error worries, and now enjoy complete visibility into exactly where their money goes. Instead of drowning in paperwork, they focus on what they love, crafting new beer specials, delighting guests, and growing their gastro empire.
Dishboard has turned their Excel chaos into a seamless financial workflow. Beer Brothers have reclaimed hundreds of hours each year, eradicated their late-night error worries, and now enjoy complete visibility into exactly where their money goes. Instead of drowning in paperwork, they focus on what they love, crafting new beer specials, delighting guests, and growing their gastro empire.
Overview of food cost and other key metrics in Dishboard
Would you like to achieve equally outstanding results in your own restaurant or café?
Tell us your story and we’ll craft a custom solution for you!
Cookie Settings
Cookies necessary for the correct operation of the site are always enabled.
Other cookies are configurable.
Other cookies are configurable.