Achieving Financial Control in Multi-Unit Restaurants
When Greg Flynn started Flynn Restaurant Group, he didn’t just set out to own a few franchises—he built an empire of over 2,400 locations across brands like Applebee’s, Taco Bell, and Panera. His secret? Scalable systems and disciplined financial controls.
For Directors of Finance, Regional Controllers, and VPs overseeing multiple locations, financial clarity is the cornerstone of growth. Yet with each added unit, the complexity compounds: delayed closes, inconsistent reporting, inaccurate labor tracking, and the list goes on.
Let’s break down how leading operators are regaining control—and how you can too.
Why Legacy Workflows Hurt Multi-Unit Visibility
We’ve seen it firsthand: a Director of Finance overseeing 18 locations struggles to produce consolidated reports because each unit uses a different chart of accounts. A VP of Finance for a growing fast-casual brand can’t forecast accurately due to inconsistent AP workflows across regions. These issues aren’t isolated—they’re systemic.
When systems don’t talk to each other and reporting lacks structure, strategic decisions are delayed, and profitability suffers.
Centralized Financial Operations: The Backbone of Multi-Unit Growth
Financial leaders in multi-unit restaurants are shifting toward unified systems that deliver real-time, unit-level insights with minimal friction. The most successful operators implement the following pillars:
1. Standardized Chart of Accounts (COA) Across All Units
We helped a Regional Controller at a 22-unit pizza chain migrate all stores to a unified COA. The result? Faster closes and a clear side-by-side view of store performance.
What It Delivers:
Uniform P&L and balance sheet reporting
Elimination of categorization errors
Easy comparison across units and brands
2. Daily Sales Summary (DSS) Integration to Speed Reconciliation
Relying on emailed spreadsheets from 20 GMs across multiple brands? There’s a better way. A consolidated DSS process tied to the POS allows automated data flows, including comps, tips, voids, and deposits—ready for reconciliation daily.
Pro Tip: DSS automation also lays the groundwork for automated bank activity matching and variance flagging.
3. AP Automation with Multi-Location Oversight
A Director of Finance at a 40-unit franchise group recently adopted an AP automation solution to unify invoice approval flows. With roles assigned by location and region, they achieved 3-day AP turnaround—down from 12.
System Features:
Invoice capture with OCR
Role-based digital approvals
PO matching and automated workflows
Vendor-level spend tracking
4. Inventory Accuracy that Drives Profit, Not Frustration
Inventory management is where many restaurant groups leak margin. We implemented weekly cycle counts and COGS integrations at a fast-growing 15-unit taqueria brand. Their food cost variance dropped by 7% in two months.
Here’s What Mattered:
Regular, standardized inventory cadence
Real-time usage tracking
Integration with purchasing and recipe systems
Want to go deeper into how multi-entity accounting frameworks can support this? Take a look at Mastering Multi-Entity Accounting for Restaurant Groups and Franchise Organizations.
5. Labor Cost Control: The Real-Time Advantage
Payroll is one of your biggest line items—and without accurate labor tracking, it’s impossible to control. A regional controller at a Midwest diner group saw a 4% labor cost reduction by implementing weekly labor reports segmented by FOH/BOH.
Key Metrics:
Overtime hours
Hours per cover
Labor % of net sales
Departmental wage splits
6. Weekly Flash Reports: Course-Correct Before Month-End
Your team shouldn’t have to wait 30 days to find out a unit is underperforming. Our clients receive weekly flash reports with:
Prime cost percentages
Weekly unit-level P&Ls
Variance alerts from benchmarks
Recommendations for action
One VP of Finance in a 70-unit group told us, “This changed our rhythm. We’re not reacting anymore—we’re steering.”
7. Cash Flow Forecasting That’s Actually Useable
One of the biggest struggles at the top? Forecasting across entities. We build dynamic 13-week rolling forecasts that reflect vendor payments, payroll cycles, rent, and sales seasonality.
What You See:
Burn rates by unit
Cash runway
Timing gaps between AR and AP
Capital needs and excess
Financial KPIs to Track—Unit by Unit
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Helps identify overages in food and labor
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Net Profit Margin
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Prevents vendor disruption
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Tracks efficiency and prevents overspending
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Keeps units operational through lean cycles
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Helps reduce theft and spoilage
For financial leaders, understanding how fees tie into franchisor relationships is also critical—especially when scaling. Dive into our resource on How Are Franchise Royalty Fees Calculated? to ensure proper accruals and clean reporting.
Ready to take control of your financial operation?
Contact Over Easy Office today and start streamlining your back-office, automating accounting, and gaining financial visibility across every unit. Our expert team supports multi-unit restaurant finance leaders with tailored solutions that scale.