SOP Finance and Accounting – F&B Outlet Beverage Controls

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F&B Outlet Beverage Controls

Purpose of this F&B Outlet Beverage Controls:

In the hospitality industry, beverage controls are a crucial aspect of financial management. For F&B outlets in hotels, it is important to have a standard operating procedure (SOP) in place for finance and accounting practices. This ensures that the beverage inventory is properly managed and accounted for.

The SOP for finance and accounting in F&B outlets should include procedures for ordering and receiving beverages, storage and inventory management, and sales and revenue reporting. It should also outline the roles and responsibilities of the finance and accounting team, as well as the operations team responsible for handling the beverages.

One important aspect of beverage control is the implementation of a standard recipe for each drink served. This ensures consistency in the quality of the beverages and helps with inventory management. Additionally, regular physical inventory counts should be conducted to ensure that the actual inventory matches the recorded inventory.

Effective beverage control can lead to cost savings and increased profitability for F&B outlets in hotels. By implementing a thorough SOP for finance and accounting, hotels can ensure that their beverage operations are running smoothly and efficiently.

The hotel organization will consistently follow the control procedures herein listed in all beverage outlets under its management.

The Finance Controller is primarily responsible for ensuring that a comprehensive system of internal controls is put into operation within all food and beverage outlets. The Director of Food and Beverage is responsible for ensuring that the controls put into operation are consistently implemented and put into practice in all food and beverage outlets.

F&B Outlet Beverage Controls SOP Procedure:

The following list of internal controls, or acceptable variations thereof, is to be put into operation and consistently implemented in all food outlet operations.

Purchasing Procedures and Controls:

  • All purchasing policy and procedure guidelines are to be followed by SOP AP 102 – Purchase Requisitions and Purchase Orders.
  •  Par Levels are to be established by the person in charge of Purchasing and signed off by the Food and Beverage Director. The par levels should be set at an amount that is sufficient to order enough stock to supply the beverage operation in normal operating conditions.
  •  Any changes made to beverage pars, including wine, liquor, or beer menu changes that affect beverage inventory must be approved by the General Manager, Food and Beverage Director, and Controller/DOF.
  •  Before stocking supplies related to any menu changes, a plan for the dissolution of old stock on hand must be presented by the Food and Beverage Director to the General Manager and Controller for approval.
  •  Before placing orders with beverage vendors, any adjustments for special event beverage sales such as New Year’s Eve, weddings, etc., must be considered and the purchase adjusted accordingly.
  •  Purchase quantities should be adjusted to take advantage of any vendor discounts or special promotions being offered, after approval by the Food and Beverage Director.

Receiving Procedures and Controls:

  • All beverage products received must be received by an approved Manager/Supervisor.
  •  As items are received they must be checked as follows:
  •  Each item must match the ordered specification about the brand and size of the container.
  •  Each item must be verified to the quantity ordered.
  •  Each item must be verified on the invoice.
  •  Items purchased by quantity per case must be verified to the case received.
  •  For any items listed on the invoice that did not meet specification standards, or were simply not delivered, a credit memo must be completed immediately, before the delivery person leaves the property. The credit memo must state the following:
  •  The reason for the credit, i.e. item not delivered, item did not meet the quality standard, etc.
  •  The signature of the driver.
  •  The amount of the credit in quantity, price, and extended total credit amount.
  •  A credit log must be maintained and reconciled with the general ledger every week.
  •  A Receiving Log must be prepared and maintained always.

Requisitioning Beverage from Storage:

  • Beverage requisitions must be filled out by the night shift for each beverage outlet and left for the Receiving department to fill the next day.
  •  Liquor requisitions must be accompanied by an empty bottle for each bottle of liquor being requested from inventory. Liquor requisitions will only be filled in a bottle-for-bottle exchange.
  •  When liquor is being issued to outlets, the Receiving person filling the requisition must examine the bottles to find the non-removable sticker on each bottle. Any empty bottles without the hotel’s unique tag will be reported to the Controller/DOF and Food and Beverage Director.
  •  For wine being requisitioned, a system of comparing bottles of wine sold individually and by the glass as evidenced by the Beverage Abstract Reports from the Point of Sale system for the prior day to the requisitioned bottle count must be maintained. Wine should then be issued according to the Abstract Reports.
  •  A bin tag system should be utilized for all outlet wines.
  •  Bar pars must be spot-checked weekly to ensure proper stock and to look for bottle tags.

Inventory and Storeroom Control:

  • Keys to beverage storeroom(s) should be available only to the Beverage Purchaser, Beverage Management, and Food and Beverage Director.
  •  All beverage storage areas must be kept secured at all times.

Cost Management Controls:

1) Pricing Controls:

  • Wine menus must be cost-extended before implementation of any menu item to ensure proper pricing.
  •  Liquor, beer, and soda pricing must be reviewed at least semi-annually.

2) Dispensing Controls:

  • Liquor dispensing systems must be calibrated at least quarterly.
  •  Where dispensing systems are not used, all liquor must be poured using a one-ounce jigger, and “tails” will not be allowed.
  •  All liquor pours must be made using an approved one-ounce standard stainless steel jigger.
  •  No free-pouring is allowed.
  •  All liquor, wine, beer, and soda dispensing systems must be turned off, secured, or otherwise disabled after closing.

3) Sales and Receipt Controls:

  • Point-of-sale systems must have a display that is visible to customers.
  •  All drink orders must be rung up immediately upon order. No delay should exist between the time a drink is ordered and the time a drink is entered into the Point of Sale system.
  •  All drink orders called to bartenders must be accompanied by a Point of Sale drink ticket or “chit”.
  •  All drink orders must be redlined or otherwise defaced or torn after service to prevent re-use of the chit or ticket.
  •  All cash drink checks must be placed in a lockbox after cash is collected to prevent re-use.
  •  The cash drawer must be closed between transactions.

Training Summary Questions:

  1. Why are beverage controls considered a crucial aspect of financial management in the hospitality industry, particularly for F&B outlets in hotels?
  2. What does SOP stand for, and why is it important to have one in place for finance and accounting practices in F&B outlets?
  3. What are the key components that should be included in the SOP for finance and accounting in F&B outlets, according to the article?
  4. Explain the significance of having procedures for ordering and receiving beverages in the SOP for finance and accounting in F&B outlets.
  5. What roles and responsibilities should be outlined in the SOP for both the finance and accounting team and the operations team responsible for handling beverages?
  6. Why is the implementation of a standard recipe for each drink served considered an important aspect of beverage control in F&B outlets?
  7. How does having a standard recipe contribute to consistency in the quality of beverages and aid in inventory management?
  8. What is the recommended practice regarding regular physical inventory counts, and why are they important in beverage control?
  9. What potential benefits can effective beverage control bring to F&B outlets in hotels in terms of cost savings and profitability, according to the article?
  10. How can a well-implemented SOP for finance and accounting contribute to the smooth and efficient operation of beverage services in hotels?
SOP Number: Finance and Accounting SOP – 04
Department: Operations and Controls
Date Issued: 19-Jun-2021
Time to Train: 30 Minutes
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