Case Study – Food Business

The story 

A much-loved Sydney based food business was starting to wobble. Sales were steady, but cash was always tight and tax deadlines kept slipping. Their accountant could see trouble coming, maybe six to twelve months away, and called us in to help steady the ship. 

What we found 

Once we looked under the hood, the issues were clear: 

• Unpaid customer bills were piling up. 

• Wages and food costs kept creeping above target. 

• The owners were buried in admin, up to 20+ hours a week. 

• Different apps weren’t syncing, so data got entered over and over. 

• There was no simple weekly rhythm to keep everyone focused on the right numbers. 

What we did 

We kept things practical and rolled up our sleeves to work alongside the owners and their accountant. 

• Set a weekly rhythm: A short check-in each week with a one-page snapshot; sales, wages, food costs, waste, customer feedback, and a few clear next steps. 

• Clarified roles: Defined who does what on each shift, supported by simple checklists for opening, closing, and handovers. 

• Fixed the flow from order to payment: Streamlined the process from taking an order to getting paid, added daily end-of-day checks, and built a small queue for any refunds or delivery app hiccups. 

• Simplified the tech stack: Cut down overlapping apps and connected the essentials so information only needed to be entered once. 

• Trained the team: Created short “how we do it here” guides so new staff could slot in smoothly. 

What we delivered 

• A plain-English weekly and monthly rhythm for owners 

• Step-by-step checklists for front and back of house 

• A smooth integration between the POS and accounting system 

• A simple dashboard for owners and managers 

• A “less apps, less hassle” plan with light automation 

• Bite-sized training guides for the team 

The results (after 3 months) 

• Admin time cut by 20–30% for the owner and manager 

• Food and wage costs back within target with fewer surprises 

• Time from job to invoice reduced by 30% 

• Tax and super paid on time, with steadier cash flow 

• Happier customers, calmer weeks, better reviews 

Why it worked 

We didn’t overcomplicate it. We focused on the basics first, built solutions with the team (not for them), and made sure every change was practical, measurable, and easy to maintain. The result? A steadier business that runs smoother week after week.