Reddit reviews Restaurant Success by the Numbers, Second Edition: A Money-Guy's Guide to Opening the Next New Hot Spot

Check out the book Restaurant success by the numbers. It’s no holy grail but I’ve found some valuable info there. Especially what metrics you should be tracking and estimating success.

Make sure the POS you select doesn’t slow down the service and has numbers/reports readily available.

I second having a relationship with an industry bookkeeper. They can often provide more services beyond bookkeeping and know a lot about the business. If you feel this might be pricy I’d still suggest it to begin with while you and your in laws get up to speed. Then scale down as you become more comfortable.

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask around for advice of other owners. If there are local networking events for owners/managers, attend. Use any excuse to meet people in the industry and make connections.

Good luck!

There are some good books about restaurant finances. Two I found very useful are Restaurant Financial Basics and Restaurant Success by the Numbers.

Restaurant Success by the Numbers

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1607745585/ref=dbs_a_w_dp_1607745585

Running a Restaurant for Dummies

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1118027922/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_szX-BbB2D5461

Front of the House

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1941868029/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_qDX-BbSZ4HSJZ

The "For Dummies" series is pretty good if you can look past the title. Every owner wants to run their business better, whether they've been at it for one year or twenty.