Case Studies
EMPLOYEE EMBEZZLEMENT DISCOVERED
A Twin Cities Sushi Bar. Cue was called in to handle the accounting when the company's long-time bookkeeper decided to resign. As part of our normal process, we set up a robust financial information system that quickly prioritized cash management as an improvement area. The restaurant operation averaged Cash receipts over $1,000 daily. However, the general manager would often accumulate receipts for an entire week before making a bank deposit.
Our recommendation of more frequent cash deposits was accepted by the owners. We immediately scheduled a meeting with the restaurant staff to explain the new procedures. However, when we arrived the next day, we discovered that the safe was empty! We discovered that the general manager and former bookkeeper had been skimming money for several years (a problem that our new cash control system would prevent from ever happening again).
IMPROVED PROFITABILITY
A St. Paul Bakery. The operation appeared to be thriving. They had great press, solid online reviews and lots of customers. Things were going so well that the owners asked Cue to help them expand to a second location. However, after implementing our financial system, we realized that the company was actually losing money. Their impressive revenue was just not flowing through to the bottom line.
We worked with the owners to develop budgeting tools which included weekly performance-to-budget reports for every department (from staffing and sales to product and labor costs). After training the staff on the use of these tools, profits rapidly improved. In fact, within six months the company had achieved record earnings.
TWO NEW LOCATIONS OPENED
A Minneapolis Bar and Restaurant. When a new management team was hired at this year-old location the owners hired Cue as a restaurant consultant to help shore up the accounting. Business had slowed, and the company's expansion plans needed funding.
Cue’s financial reporting and budgeting systems helped the current managers make the right spending decisions. They also identified members of the team who weren’t pulling their weight. The following year, profits more than doubled and two new locations were opened. As Cue’s systems were implemented company-wide, the new operations were immediately profitable,