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FIXEExpert Review For FIXE customers

New customers who sign by Jan 31: your first FIXE Expert Review is on us. Ask about it

FIXE Expert Review

Is it time to bring in the big guns?

When your P&L stops explaining itself, it might be time for a CFO. Or a FIXE Expert Review: a CFO-level read on your numbers every month from Dan Margolis, our Director of Finance, and our restaurant team. It's an extra add-on for FIXE customers, no full-time hire needed.

See a sample review Ask about it
FIXE Expert ReviewSeptember 2026
Sample

Restaurant A (sample)

September 2026 Financial Review

Prepared by FIXE · October 2026

Sample restaurant and numbers, made up for illustration.

5 signs it's time to bring in the big guns

A lot of owners don't need a full-time CFO. They need someone who reads the numbers with them every month and says what to do next.

  1. Your P&L shows up and nobody walks you through it.

    You get the numbers, but not what they mean or what to do about them.

  2. Your profit and your bank balance tell different stories.

    The P&L says you made money. The bank account disagrees.

  3. Prime cost is creeping and you can't say which piece moved.

    Food, beverage or labor? You should know which one, and by how much.

  4. You're about to make a big call.

    A second location, a price change, a new loan or a remodel.

  5. You don't know your break-even number.

    If you can't say what you need to sell each week to cover your costs, you're guessing.

If two or more sound familiar

You may not need a full-time CFO. You need a CFO-level review every month. That's a FIXE Expert Review.

What you get every month

Your books, closed.

FIXE closes your books every month, so your review starts from numbers you can trust.

Your review, built for you.

What moved this month, why it moved, and what to fix. Built for your restaurant, not pulled from a template.

Your 30-day plan.

Targets for next month, so you and your managers know exactly which numbers to watch.

What each one tells you

Bookkeepers and CPAs do important work. A FIXE Expert Review answers a different question.

A bookkeeper

Tells you

What happened.

Records your sales and bills, reconciles your accounts and closes the month. Everything else is built on it.

A CPA

Tells you

What you owe, and how to file.

Handles your taxes, filings and year-end. A FIXE Expert Review doesn't replace that work.

A FIXE Expert Review

Tells you

What to do next.

What moved this month, why, and a 30-day plan with targets, built on books FIXE closes.

With FIXE, the first and the third come together: we close your books every month, then build your review on them. Your CPA keeps doing your taxes.

A sample FIXE Expert Review

Sample

Restaurant A is a made-up restaurant. The numbers are a sample, built to show what a review looks like.

Restaurant A (sample) is a one-location neighborhood bistro that opened in April 2024. Here's its September 2026 Financial Review, prepared by FIXE in October 2026.

01 · Operating profitSeptember 2026Sample

Operating profit fell from $22,350 to $4,440.

  • That's down $17,910. Margin went from 11.9% to 2.5%.
  • Net revenue fell $12,710 (6.8%), but costs didn't fall with it. Prime cost rose from 58.6% to 65.1%.
  • Overhead was $56,800. Supplies and online orders, at 2.9% of net revenue, need a review.

Key message

Sales slipped, but costs didn't follow them down. Prime cost is the first place to look.

Sample restaurant and numbers, made up for illustration.Restaurant A (sample) · Prepared by FIXE

02 · SalesSeptember 2026Sample

Sales fell 7.1%, mostly in food.

  • Gross sales went from $196,400 in August to $182,400 in September, down $14,000.
  • Food sales fell 8.8%. Beverage held up better, down 3.2%.
  • After discounts, net revenue was $175,440, down $12,710 (6.8%).

Key message

Bring covers back without leaning on discounts. October's goal is gross sales of $190K+.

Sample restaurant and numbers, made up for illustration.Restaurant A (sample) · Prepared by FIXE

03 · Prime costSeptember 2026Sample

Prime cost jumped to 65.1%.

  • Food cost, beverage cost and payroll took 65.1% of net revenue, up from 58.6% in August.
  • Against a 60% target, September ran $8,936 over.
  • Every point of prime cost is worth $1,754 a month at September's revenue.

Key message

Prime cost is the number to watch every week, not every month. Get it back to 60% or below.

Try this math

Prime cost = (food cost + beverage cost + payroll) ÷ net revenue

($52,300 + $61,900) ÷ $175,440 = 65.1%. Each point = net revenue × 1% = $1,754 a month.

Sample restaurant and numbers, made up for illustration.Restaurant A (sample) · Prepared by FIXE

04 · Food costSeptember 2026Sample

Food cost crept up to 30.8%.

  • $38,700 in food purchases on $125,700 in food sales, up from 29.0% in August ($39,900 on $137,800).
  • Food sales fell 8.8%, but food purchases fell only 3.0%.
  • Protein is the biggest category at $14,900.

Key message

Ordering didn't come down with sales. Start with a weekly protein and produce review.

Sample restaurant and numbers, made up for illustration.Restaurant A (sample) · Prepared by FIXE

05 · BeverageSeptember 2026Sample

Beverage cost hit 24.0%. Check the timing first.

  • Beverage cost went from $11,200 (19.1%) in August to $13,600 (24.0%) in September.
  • A $3,400 wine order landed Sep 28, so some of this is likely timing.
  • A full physical count will show what's really on the shelf.

Key message

Count before you react. Confirm the wine timing, then decide what needs fixing.

Sample restaurant and numbers, made up for illustration.Restaurant A (sample) · Prepared by FIXE

06 · LaborSeptember 2026Sample

Labor rose to 35.3% of net revenue.

  • Payroll went from $59,100 (31.4%) in August to $61,900 (35.3%) in September.
  • Sales fell, but payroll went up.
  • At a 30% target, September payroll would have been $52,632. That's a $9,268 gap.

Key message

Schedule to covers, and have a manager sign off on overtime.

Try this math

Labor gap = payroll - (net revenue × target %)

$61,900 - ($175,440 × 30%) = $9,268

Sample restaurant and numbers, made up for illustration.Restaurant A (sample) · Prepared by FIXE

07 · Discounts and leakageSeptember 2026Sample

Discounts improved, but they're still over target.

  • Discounts and comps fell from $8,250 (4.2% of gross) to $6,960 (3.8%).
  • Add $540 in refunds and chargebacks, and total leakage was $7,500.
  • At a 3% target, discounts would be $5,472. That's $1,488 over.

Key message

Approve and review every discount source weekly, and get below 3%.

Sample restaurant and numbers, made up for illustration.Restaurant A (sample) · Prepared by FIXE

08 · Cash flow and financingSeptember 2026Sample

Cash went up, but not from the restaurant.

  • Cash started September at $41,200. Operations added $1,900.
  • Financing repayments took $9,800: $7,300 on a revenue-based advance and $2,500 on an equipment loan.
  • The owners put in $25,000, so cash ended at $58,300.

Key message

Cash rose only because the owners put more in.

Sample restaurant and numbers, made up for illustration.Restaurant A (sample) · Prepared by FIXE

09 · Break-evenSeptember 2026Sample

September cleared break-even by about $6,900.

  • Variable costs, the ones that move with sales (food, beverage, card fees, supplies and online orders), were $62,700, or 35.7% of net revenue. So each sales dollar kept about 64 cents.
  • Fixed costs, the ones that stay put for the month (payroll, rent, general and admin, utilities, marketing), were $108,300.
  • Break-even was about $168,500 in net revenue. September did $175,440, a cushion of about $6,900. That's less than a fifth of one week's sales.

Key message

Know your break-even number, and check each week's sales against it.

Try this math

Break-even sales = fixed costs ÷ (1 - variable costs ÷ net revenue)

$108,300 ÷ (1 - $62,700 ÷ $175,440) = about $168,500

Sample restaurant and numbers, made up for illustration.Restaurant A (sample) · Prepared by FIXE

10 · October action planSeptember 2026Sample

October: eight priorities, each with a number to hit.

  • Prime cost and labor are the biggest gaps, so they get a weekly view.
  • Every threshold gets checked in November's review.
Restaurant A (sample) October action plan: priority, action and threshold
PriorityActionThreshold
SalesRebuild dinner covers without broad discountingGross sales $190K+
DiscountsApprove and review every discount source weeklyBelow 3%
FoodWeekly protein and produce review, recipe costingBelow 29%
BeverageFull count, confirm the wine timingBelow 22%
LaborSchedule to covers, manager sign-off on overtimeBelow 31%
Prime costWeekly food, beverage and labor viewAt or below 60%
OverheadReview supplies and online ordersUnder 2%
Cash and break-even13-week cash forecast, weekly sales check against break-evenNet revenue $168.5K+

Key message

One page, eight numbers. Your managers know exactly what to watch in October.

Sample restaurant and numbers, made up for illustration.Restaurant A (sample) · Prepared by FIXE

Who builds your review

Dan Margolis, our Director of Finance, and our team of accountants who only do restaurants, many of whom have run restaurants, across 600+ restaurant locations.

Dan Margolis, Director of Finance at FIXE

Dan Margolis

Director of Finance, FIXE

Dan built his career bridging restaurant operations and finance, rising from busser to Director of Operations and later CFO of a major Los Angeles restaurant group. After earning his MBA in finance, he's helped hospitality companies improve performance by combining operational insight with financial strategy. Now he uses technology to drive efficiency and support growth at FIXE. Today he builds CFO-level reviews for FIXE customers like Sunrose and Tacos 1986.

Meet Dan

How it works

  1. We close your books.

    Every month, FIXE closes your books. Your P&L lands within about 5 business days of month-end.

  2. Dan's team builds your review.

    What moved, why it moved and what to fix, built for your restaurant.

  3. You get a 30-day plan, and your team is a reply away.

    Targets for next month, plus a dedicated account manager when questions come up.

How to get it

Already a FIXE customer?

It's an extra add-on. Ask your account manager to add it.

New to FIXE?

It's one of the extras FIXE customers get. Ask about it on your first call.

Through Jan 31

New customers who sign by Jan 31: your first FIXE Expert Review is on us.

Already a FIXE customer? It's an extra add-on. Ask your account manager to add it.

Want a FIXE Expert Review for your restaurant?

Tell us about your restaurant and someone from FIXE will reach out. Already a FIXE customer? This goes straight to your account team.

Offer: your first monthly FIXE Expert Review at no charge for new FIXE customers who sign a FIXE agreement between December 15, 2026 and 11:59 PM PT on January 31, 2027. Your first review arrives once your books are caught up and closed. After that, keep it monthly as an add-on, priced by your size, or don't. One free review per restaurant group. Can't be combined with other FIXE offers. Full terms are shared before you sign.

Questions

What is a FIXE Expert Review?
It's a monthly, CFO-level review of your restaurant's numbers, built on books FIXE closes. Each review is a short deck: what moved this month, why, and a 30-day action plan with targets.
Who builds it?
Dan Margolis, FIXE's Director of Finance, and our restaurant team. FIXE only does restaurants, and our team includes people who've run restaurants.
When is it time to bring in a CFO?
When your P&L shows up and nobody walks you through it, when profit and cash tell different stories, when prime cost creeps and you can't say why, or before a big call like a second location. A FIXE Expert Review gives you that CFO-level read every month.
Do I need a full-time CFO?
Not always. A lot of owners need a CFO-level read on their numbers every month more than a full-time hire. That's what a FIXE Expert Review is. It doesn't replace your CPA for taxes.
Can I get it without FIXE doing my books?
No. It's built on books FIXE closes each month, which is what makes it accurate.
What does it cost?
It's an extra add-on to your FIXE bookkeeping, priced by your size and locations. Ask on your first call, or ask your account manager if you're already a FIXE customer. New customers who sign by Jan 31 get their first review on us.