We are fortunate to have clients that are an integral part of the history of dining in Los Angeles such as El Cholo Cafe. El Cholo Cafe traces its history all the way back to their first restaurant, which opened in 1924 on Broadway and Santa Barbara Street (near the Coliseum). It has remained a … Read More

Blue Plate Oysterette is a New England-style seafood restaurant owned by Jennifer Rush Morton. Unlike other seafood restaurants, Blue plate Oysterette transmits a more casual vibe from their modern look to serving baskets of fried clams, lobster rolls and exquisite whole steamed Maine lobster. This is the second Oysterette location; the original located in Santa … Read More

Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales” recently opened a new Border Grill location at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. The Forum Shops is a premiere 3-level fashion and dining location, with more than 160 luxury shops and restaurants, amazing architecture, and magnificent water … Read More

KROST was one of the sponsors for the CRA Los Angeles Chapter Golf Tournament held on Tuesday, August 05, 2014 from 9:00 AM – 6:30 PM. The tournament was an all-day event hosted at Malibu Country Club; it included golf, contests/prizes, golf gift bags, continental breakfast & coffee truck, lunch, food & wine/beer festival, and … Read More

Labor and Employment 2014 certainly seemed like the year of the minimum wage at both the state and local level not just in California, but nationally. The drumbeat for continued increases will continue into 2015 at the federal, state, and local level as proponents gear up for making the issue a central one to drive … Read More

Yes, we are still talking about minimum wage increases here in California. The consensus is clearly in the favor of increased minimum wage being rolled out within the next year. At the Federal Level At the federal level, the tipped minimum wage is $2.13 – regular minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. That’s the advantage … Read More

KROST was thrilled to participate in the event honoring our client, Philippe The Original as the recipient of the Elizabeth Burns Lifetime Achievement Award. The event held on June 6th at Casa Del Mar in Santa Monica was well attended by industry leaders anxious to honor this iconic and important contributor to the LA restaurant … Read More

How Affordable is the Affordable Care Act? Come join our panelist session at the Western Food Service Show on Monday, August 19th at 2:45-3:30 PM, in Theater 2, Booth #1055, and learn how you can provide ACA without hurting your bottom line. Our panelist of restaurant professionals and owners will discuss and share their strategies … Read More

With so much technology becoming available for restaurant owners and operators it is difficult to choose which systems will serve your needs best. Outlining what information and what systems you currently use is the best way to start mapping an integrated system for your business. The end game is always the same; create information and … Read More

Now that the Employer Mandate part of the ACA had been pushed back to January of 2015, everyone gave a big sigh of relief – but should you? This changes the landscape significantly in regards to your compliance planning. As the economy is improving and jobs in the restaurant/service segment are increasing – what is … Read More

Restaurant operators spend a day in and day out working hard to run a profitable business. FoodVoice is a dynamic smartphone app that gives all hardworking and innovative restaurant industry players a seat at the table where policy decisions affecting restaurants are made – even on the go. The data gathered from California operators will … Read More

Even though the Affordable Health Care Act does not technically begin until January 2014 – you are probably already behind on some required planning and administration issues. The Act is going to require all restaurant operators to know more about health care and the administration of the program than they ever wanted to know. This … Read More

Ann. 2012-50 The (Rev. Rul. 2012-18) ruling was originally set to be effective for amounts paid on or after 1/1/2013. The IRS has now extended the effective date to amounts paid on or after 1/1/2014. This gives clients one more year to implement procedures to ensure proper reporting if they choose to continue paying service … Read More

There are some significant changes regarding California employers’ duties in 2013. This list is an overview of the major changes that employers should consider and be aware of at the beginning of 2013. Employers Cannot Ask Applicants Or Employees For Social Media Passwords – AB 1844 This law created Labor Code section 980, which is … Read More

Don Luis Camacho, who has taken over his family business, discusses the history and future of his family restaurants. Learn more about Don as he shares his story with KROST. Don Luis, the Camacho name is well known in Los Angeles for Mexican Food, how did your family start in the business? My father Andy … Read More

A 1099 Form is used to report various types of income other than wages, salaries and tips to the IRS for taxation purposes. A 1099 must be issued for most non-incorporated vendors that are paid $600 or more for services rendered in one calendar year. All disbursements issued to attorneys, regardless of amount, must be … Read More

On September 24, 2012, KROST held their first ever restaurant-themed seminar entitled “Restaurant Management: Operations, Systems, and Financial Controls”. Hosted at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, Managing Partner, Greg Kniss, and Director of Restaurant Operations, Jean Hagan, were the featured speakers of this exciting event that covered the ins and outs of operating, owning, maintaining, … Read More

An important tool is emerging as an undisputed victor from the ashes of the 2008 recession, the subsequent dramatic rise in commodity prices, and other escalations in restaurant operating costs. Sophisticated restaurant operators are beginning to use Business Intelligence software (“BI”) to manage increasingly volatile P&L statements where utilities, insurance, food costs, paper costs, labor, … Read More

Are you prepared for the end of the year? Paychex gives a company compliance checklist to advocate being more prepared for end-of-year taxes. Confirm employee name and address list. Report employee changes to your payroll provider by the assigned due date. Ensure that you have the necessary federal and state withholding forms available when reporting … Read More

The case study involves a full-service restaurant that has different venue focus areas with seating for over 400 people. Annual sales are roughly $6 million. The challenge here was the constant problem with accurate inventory values. From month to month, it was impossible to figure out where the inventory mistakes were made. This operation was … Read More

Tom Holt, Motorcross Racer turned Restaurant Owner, made a unique career move after his racing career. Learn more about Tom as he shares his life story with KROST. You started out as a Motorcross Racer – how did you end up in the restaurant business? When I got done racing I went back to college … Read More

On Sept. 18, 2012, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law significant changes to the California workers’ compensation system, which will take effect on Jan. 1, 2013. The legislation was supported by both Democrats and Republicans and is intended to benefit employers and employees in California by reducing costs, increasing benefits and improving the system overall. … Read More

Many small business owners maintain their accounting records on the income tax basis of accounting. However, many small business owners are not clear on (i) the reason the income tax basis was selected, or (ii) how the income tax basis of accounting differs from generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The difference between the income tax … Read More

This case study focuses on the influence that “average check” has on overall sales in a restaurant. Many restaurant operators do not follow their average check closely enough to determine when they are losing valuable income from existing guests. In the planning stages of a restaurant, from menu design to lease or purchase values, average … Read More

With the Supreme Court ruling that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is constitutional, many are now beginning to examine exactly what the law means and the new obligations it creates for employers. Below is only a general outline of the major portions of the law’s new requirements on employers, and employers are urged … Read More

It’s hard to believe, it’s halftime in the year. There are certain things an operator should review when we get to this point. It is not too late to make adjustments to hit those final budget numbers. Here are some areas I suggest would have the most impact on your financial statements: Budget Review Conduct … Read More

The newest addition to the Charlie’s Trio family is Vino’s at Trio. This concept is perfect for those wanting a place where the wine matters and the food is paired correctly (a passion for both Fata brothers, Michael and Chuck). It’s rare and refreshing to see seasoned restaurateurs’ turn their passions into reality. The Fata … Read More

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) continues to weigh in on social media. The Acting General Counsel of the NLRB has issued the third in a series of reports on the alleged negative effects of social media policies on employee organizing rights under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act. In the two prior … Read More

Santa Monica, CA It seems like the Lobster has always been there, but in actuality, it has been just over twelve years in its current form. The original Lobster Shack was opened in 1923 at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Pier. It has become the favorite place to go for many in … Read More

This case study focuses on an issue that many restaurateurs battle with constantly: TIPS! Controlling the declaration of income from tips by employees has become a challenge for many restaurant operators. There is no question that the IRS demands employers to be the guardians of this and many operators are unaware that they have been … Read More

I understand why an owner of a restaurant would decline the services of a 3rd Party Health and Food Safety Inspection. After all, the executive chef runs a tight ship and the Health Department (HD) has always given them an A grade. Moreover, each manager is fully trained and ServSafe Certified and the entire kitchen … Read More

Another contributing factor to payroll cost is the associated tax burden. Savvy operators understand the employee component of payroll, but often neglect related decisions that can help mitigate such payroll costs. For example, a sizeable portion of labor overhead can be indirectly recouped through wage-based income tax credits. These incentives turn labor expenditures into tax … Read More

Every restaurant owner and operator, large and small, feel the pain of payroll every two weeks. Struggling to control costs, this area seems to be a black hole that they can not work their way out of. Instead of attacking this issue like any other on their financial statements, every time payroll has to be … Read More

Over the last five years, gift cards have attracted a lot of attention from consumers, retailers, and regulators. A 2010 holiday season survey conducted on behalf of the National Retail Federation (“NRF”) found that more than 77 percent of shoppers had in fact purchased, or intended to purchase gift cards. The survey also estimated total … Read More

Los Angeles, CA Located atop the Hollywood Hills, Yamashiro watches over the ever-changing Hollywood restaurant scene with a keen eye. Originally developed as a private estate to showcase a priceless collection of Asian treasures, including a 600-year-old Pagoda still on display, Yamashiro has been a thriving restaurant since the 1920’s. Family owned and operated the … Read More

Ask five restaurateurs to define Gross Sales and you will get more than five answers. Technically, the correct answer is that Gross Sales include all revenue centers in the restaurant operations. The National Restaurant Association defines Gross Sales as “income received from goods and services”; so yes, that includes all food and beverage income, service … Read More

Sales tax audits in the restaurant industry are inevitable, especially with states like California needing money due to the economic downturn. The problem is not the audit, but the typical results – a large assessment of tax, penalties, and interest. Audits typically encompass a four-year period and the list of documents that will be requested … Read More

Ctuit Restaurant Business Intelligence Los Angeles, CA Phone: 415-884-4888 KROST’s managing Partner Greg Kniss has announced a new partnership with Ctuit. “We have been working with Ctuit as a way to bring valuable information to our clients to assist them in increasing their profit margins,” noted Kniss. Single and smaller multi-unit restaurant companies need the … Read More

College of the Canyons Institute for Culinary Education 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road Santa Clarita, CA 91355 College: (661) 259-7800 Foundation: (661) 362-3434 College of the Canyons officials in Santa Clarita have embarked upon a capital campaign designed to raise funds for the construction of a brand new, state-of-the-art, on-campus culinary facility, which would provide a … Read More

This is a restaurant and bar that specializes in unique beer choices paired with an upscale menu. Different than other pub operators, this group has a commitment to also providing a high-level food experience. Location/Occupancy Costs Great location on a corner of the main street in a mid-sized town environment. Excellent occupancy costs ranging at … Read More

The first thing we reviewed in detail was the financial statements. They were produced by a bookkeeping service that was inexpensive and inaccurate. We reformatted the numbers so the owners could read, understand, and calculate basic costs associated with the restaurant business. Once the financials were reformatted we compared their numbers to local and national … Read More

Los Angeles, CA Co-owners Bryce Rademan and Robert Wickland, classmates from Occidental College, operate two restaurants with the third one in development. The named the restaurant Spitz to highlight the slow roasting of minced roast beef and lamb pressed together and cooked on a vertical spit and sliced off to order. This Mediterranean dish is … Read More

Honan, an author at Gizmodo.com, recently wrote an article (‘I Flunked My Social Media Background Check. Will You?”) about a new company that helps employers search applicant’s “internet background” to assist in the hiring process. As Mat rightly points out, much of the concern over this “new technology” is overblown, and as he puts it, … Read More