Enrolled Agent Candidate · Milwaukee, WI · IRS-authorized e-filing · Pay-by-refund available
Restaurants & Cafés

Built for the businesses that run on thin margins

Wisconsin restaurants, farms, bars, and small businesses all face different financial challenges. We specialize in each — not as a generalist trying to serve everyone, but with niche-specific expertise that makes a real difference at tax time and beyond.

Where restaurants lose money
The problems we solve
Problem

No idea what food cost % actually is

Most owners find out their food cost is too high at month end — when it's too late to do anything about it.

Weekly food cost tracking tied to POS data so you know your number every Monday.
Problem

FICA tip credit goes unclaimed

The Section 45B FICA tip credit can be worth thousands annually. Most bookkeepers don't know it exists.

We calculate and claim the FICA tip credit on every qualifying return — built into our process.
Problem

Payroll is a mess with tip reporting

Allocated tips, tipped minimum wage, and tip pooling create complexity that generic software handles poorly.

Our Gusto setup is configured specifically for restaurant tip reporting — compliant and automatic.
Problem

Labor percentage creeping up invisibly

Without weekly labor tracking, owners discover a problem a month after it started.

Weekly labor % report with benchmark comparison against Wisconsin restaurant averages.

Restaurant-specific tools

Our technology stack is configured for restaurant workflows — not generic small business bookkeeping adapted to fit.

QuickBooks OnlineDext receipt captureGusto tipped payrollDrake TaxWeekly KPI dashboard
Tax opportunities
Credits on every restaurant return
45B
FICA tip credit

Credit for employer FICA taxes on tips above minimum wage. Routinely missed by non-specialist preparers.

WOTC
Work Opportunity Credit

$2,400–$9,600 per qualifying hire from targeted groups — high-turnover restaurants qualify frequently.

179
Section 179 expensing

Full first-year deduction on kitchen equipment, POS systems, refrigeration, and furniture.

199A
QBI deduction

Up to 20% deduction on qualified business income for pass-through entities — requires careful planning.

Ready to work with a specialist, not a generalist?

Start with a free financial review — 45 minutes, we look at your numbers and tell you what we find.

Book a free review See services & pricing