Restaurant operations audit: an independent look at how the room really runs.
Owners see their restaurants through their managers' reports. An operations audit is a second pair of eyes with no stake in the answer: the numbers, the kitchen, the floor, the controls and the standards, checked against what good looks like, written up plainly.
Chat on WhatsApp Book a free 30-minute call →
Remote, across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the wider Gulf. Fixed fee agreed before the work starts.
What we do together.
The numbers
Three months of P&L, sales by item, invoices and rotas, read line by line. Food cost against theoretical cost, labour against the sales curve, and the lines that are hiding something.
Kitchen and back of house
Receiving, storage, prep, portions, waste and the station set-up. Whether the recipes on paper are the recipes on the plate, and what the walk-in says about ordering.
Service and the guest
A mystery visit and a reading of the last hundred reviews. Speed, accuracy, the welcome and the goodbye, and whether the room delivers what the concept promises.
Controls and cash
Voids, discounts, comps, cash handling, stock counts and who can change what in the POS. Most leakage is process, not dishonesty, but the audit checks both.
Standards and compliance
Food safety routines, cleaning schedules, allergen handling and the brand or franchise standards you are supposed to be holding. Scored, not described.
The report
A written report in plain language: what is working, what is not, how much each gap costs, and the five fixes in order. Built for an owner, an investor or a franchisor, not for a shelf.
How an engagement works.
Scope
One room or a group, numbers only or numbers plus site, one visit or a recurring quarterly check. Agreed in writing before the work starts, with a fixed fee.
Audit
Remote review of the numbers first, then the site visit: usually one to two days in the room, including a service period and a mystery visit.
Report and debrief
The written report within a week, a debrief call with the owner, and if you want it, help with the fixes.
What this looks like in practice.
An investor in a three-unit café group asks for an audit before adding capital. The numbers look fine. The audit finds that closing stock is estimated rather than counted, so the reported food cost is three points below reality, and that one site runs 30 percent more labour hours per cover than the other two. The report puts a value on both gaps and recommends two fixes before any new unit opens. This is an illustrative example, not a client result.
Experience behind the work.
Denys Chernenko has run restaurant and hotel F&B operations on six continents, including multi-site responsibility as Director of F&B for a hotel group, where he brought food cost and labour cost down. The audit checklist comes from running rooms, not from a textbook.
Common questions.
Who asks for a restaurant operations audit?
Owners who are not in the room every day, investors before they add capital, franchisors checking a unit, and operators who want an outside view before a renovation, a sale or a second site.
How long does an audit take?
Numbers review in the first week, one to two days on site, and the written report within a week of the visit. About three weeks end to end for a single room.
Is the audit confidential?
Yes. The report goes to whoever commissions it and no one else. Staff are told an operations review is taking place, not that the owner has concerns.
Can you audit a hotel F&B operation?
Yes. Hotel outlets are audited by outlet, with the P&L split that hotels often do not have, plus banqueting and in-room dining where they apply.
What happens after the report?
That is your choice. Some owners run the fixes with their own team; some ask The DC Group to help with the two or three that matter most.
Tell Denys about your operation.
A short message is enough. He replies personally, usually the same day.
Pick a time that works for you.
A 30-minute operator call — no slides, no pitch. Free.
Opens the booking calendar in a new tab. No account needed.
Related: What a restaurant consultant costs, and why a fixed fee →