By John Priest

It’s time to start thinking about your 2010 budgets.  After the completion of the October P&L’s, Vine Solutions will begin the budgeting process for our clients.  Below you will find a general process/timeline for the 2010 budget cycle.  Though most restaurant industry experts do predict growth for next year, the expected growth will be modest as the U.S. economy slowly eases out of the recession in 2010.  Keep that in mind as you think about the assumptions for your 2010 budget.  Please contact your Vine Solutions client manager if you have any questions regarding the budget process.

 1)      Following the October P&L’s in early November, your Vine Solutions client manager will forward the year-to-date trend sheet which gives YTD sales, expenses, cover counts, and guest check averages information.

2)      With the YTD trend information, client will determine the base changes they would like to see for 2010 in: sales % increase/decrease, check average, and expenses.

3)      Client manager will then work up a preliminary budget from those assumptions and send back to client for review: proposed deadline November 25th

4)      Client will review the preliminary budget and advise Client Manager of any further changes.

5)      Comments and changes to budget should be complete within two weeks of receiving the preliminary budget in order for the budget to be complete by no later than December 18 to be ready for 2010.

John Priest is the VP of Operations at Vine Solutions.  Vine Solutions, Inc. was incorporated in 1996 and has offices in Corte Madera and Santa Monica, California.  Vine Solutions, Inc., provides accounting and financial advisory services to a variety of high volume independent restaurants and regional chains.  For more information, e-mail Vine  Solutions at info@vinesolutions.com, follow us on twitter at twitter.com/VineSolutions or read our blog at restaurantaccountingblog.com.