Cash Control and Food and Drink Waste Control
The subject of cash control is a critical one in the restaurant business. To put
it simply, the less hands that are involved with the cash, the easier it is to control. This also lessens the opportunities that people would have to steal any money.
Cash Control
It is important to get a reference and background check done on any person that will be handling the money, whether it is a manager or a cashier. There is a fool proof procedure, that if followed correctly, will make it impossible for anyone to steal money from the cash drawer. When the drawer is first given to a cashier at the beginning of their shift, the cashier should verify the drawer funds in front of the manager. The money should be physically counted. Then the cashier will sign a sheet that says they are accepting the drawer and the correct amount of money is in it.
After accepting the drawer and placing it in the register, the cashier should be the only person allowed in the drawer. Not even the manager should be allowed in the cash drawer. If the manager wants to make change, the cashier should open the drawer and give the cash to the manager. This is because a manager could try to steal money from the drawer and blame it on the cashier. The cashier should be the person that is accountable for the money until the end of their shift.
It is important for management to be proactive in order to eliminate potential problems before they get out of control. A manager should be on the floor 90 percent of the time and in the office 10 percent of the time. Management must keep a close eye on employees to make sure they are not giving away free food and drinks. A manager should also do something called a figure eight. This is where the manager starts in the parking lot and walks through the entire restaurant looking for potential problems.