How our AI tools work

What the assistant reads

Lists the 12 multiple-choice questions of the free restaurant profit check, with the answer values each one accepts. Money ranges, delivery apps and review sites follow the restaurant's country (default US).

What it can send (0 needed, 1 optional)

• countryOptionalWhere the restaurant is: a two-letter ISO 3166-1 code such as US, CA, AU or DE (GB for the United Kingdom). Sets the currency and local wording. Defaults to US.

What the assistant reads

Scores a restaurant's 12 answers against RestaurantDoctorAI's targets for its type of restaurant and returns the free result the website shows: an overall grade, grades by area, the estimated profit leak of all the leaks together a month and a year, the biggest leak or opportunity with its estimated money a month, what one point of prime cost is worth, and the first fix. Includes a link that opens the same result on restaurantdoctorai.com. The result also notes the paid full report on the website, its price and what it adds. Takes only the 12 answers and the country, each answer one of the values its question accepts. The answers aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of checks is kept.

What it can send (12 needed, 1 optional)

• serviceModelNeededWhat kind of restaurant do you run? quick_service = Quick service (Counter or kiosk, fast turnover); fast_casual = Fast casual (Order at the counter, food brought to the table); full_service = Full service / casual dining (Servers, moderate check); fine_dining = Fine dining (Chef-driven, higher check); bar_lounge = Bar, taproom or lounge (Drinks are about half of sales or more); cafe = Café or coffee shop (Drinks lead, with pastries and light food).
• monthlyRevenueNeededAbout how much do you sell in a typical month? Amounts are in US dollars, or in the local currency where that's the euro, pound sterling, Swiss franc, or Canadian, Australian or New Zealand dollar. under_25k = Under $25,000 (Under $300K a year); 25k_60k = $25,000 – $60,000 ($300K – $720K a year); 60k_120k = $60,000 – $120,000 ($720K – $1.44M a year); 120k_200k = $120,000 – $200,000 ($1.44M – $2.4M a year); over_200k = Over $200,000 (Over $2.4M a year).
• primeCostAwarenessNeededWhat's your prime cost: food, drink and labor costs as a share of sales? under_58 = Under 58%; 58_to_64 = 58% – 64%; over_65 = 65% or more; not_tracked_weekly = I don't track it regularly.
• plateCostingFrequencyNeededHow often do you update recipe costs with current supplier prices? live_monthly_software = Monthly or live, with software (Synced to supplier invoices); 6_to_12m_manual = Once or twice a year (In a spreadsheet); new_menu_only = Only when the menu changes; rarely_gut_feeling = Rarely (Prices are set by feel or by competitors).
• wasteTrackingMethodNeededHow do you track kitchen waste and spoilage? daily_signed_log = A daily log the chef signs off; weekly_visual_estimate = A rough estimate during weekly inventory; bulk_loss_only = Only when a big batch or case goes bad; no_formal_logging = We don't track it.
• beverageMonitoringNeededHow do you control drink pours? no_alcohol = We don't serve alcohol; measured_pour_keg_audits = Measured pours, plus weekly pour-cost checks; occasional_spot_checks = Spot checks when bottles run out early; free_pour_no_audit = Free pours, no pour-cost checks.
• laborFlexingNeededWhen a shift gets slow, what happens to staffing? realtime_cuts_splh = We cut staff based on sales per labor hour; fixed_shifts_regardless = Everyone works their scheduled shift anyway; overtime_above_8_percent = Overtime is common (More than 8% of hours); chronic_understaffing_owner_covers = We're short-staffed (The owner or GM works the line).
• occupancyCostRatioNeededWhat share of sales goes to rent, property costs and utilities? under_8_percent = Under 8%; 8_to_12_percent = 8% – 12%; over_12_percent = More than 12%; unsure_ratio = I'm not sure.
• deliveryDependencyNeededHow much of your sales come through DoorDash, Uber Eats or similar apps? zero_direct_only = None (Dine-in and our own ordering only); under_15_with_markup = Under 15% (With higher app prices to cover fees); 15_to_35_standard_cut = 15% – 35% (At regular menu prices); over_35_heavy_drag = More than 35%.
• seatingDynamicsNeededHow full is your dining room across the week? consistent_weekround = Steady all week; packed_weekends_dead_midweek = Packed on weekends, quiet midweek; strong_lunch_weak_dinner = Busy lunches, slow dinners; erratic_unpredictable = Hard to predict week to week.
• contactCaptureNeededHow do you bring guests back? automated_pos_loyalty_50plus = Loyalty or email list with automatic campaigns (50+ new contacts a week); occasional_checkout_emails = We collect some emails but rarely use them; no_database_social_only = Social media and walk-ins only; paid_ads_no_list = Paid ads, but no guest list of our own.
• reputationHealthNeededWhat's your average rating on Google and Yelp? 4_5_to_5_0 = 4.5 – 5.0 stars; 4_0_to_4_4 = 4.0 – 4.4 stars; 3_5_to_3_9 = 3.5 – 3.9 stars; under_3_5 = Below 3.5 stars.
• countryOptionalWhere the restaurant is: a two-letter ISO 3166-1 code such as US, CA, AU or DE (GB for the United Kingdom). Sets the currency and local wording. Defaults to US.

What the assistant reads

Reads a recipe's ingredient lines as written, weighs each one with USDA FoodData Central and USDA yields, and prices it with the owner's own prices when given, else dated US public prices (BLS and USDA ERS store averages, USDA wholesale prices, and USDA weekly store-ad sale prices, which run low). Returns a draft in US dollars: each line's grams, cost and price source, what each line still needs, the cost per plate as a range, and a link that opens the draft on restaurantdoctorai.com, where the owner checks each line and adds prices for one plate cost and a menu price. The draft never gives one plate cost or a menu price, and says nothing about allergens or nutrition. The recipe isn't stored; only an anonymous daily count of drafts is kept.

What it can send (1 needed, 3 optional)

• recipeNeededThe recipe as written: its name, its servings line ("Serves 6") and its ingredient lines, one a line, each amount and unit exactly as the recipe or the photo gives it. Method steps may follow under a heading such as "Instructions"; only ingredient lines are costed. Don't convert, round or correct anything: the owner checks the lines on the website. At most 8000 characters and 60 ingredient lines.
• servingsOptionalHow many plates the recipe makes, when its text doesn't say.
• sourceOptionalWhere the recipe came from: text the owner typed or pasted (text), a photo or scan of a printed or typed page (typed-photo), a handwritten card (handwriting), or a PDF (pdf). It sets how many lines the owner confirms on the website: handwriting, every line.
• pricesOptionalThe owner's own prices, when they give them. Lines without one use US public prices: store averages (BLS, USDA ERS), wholesale prices (USDA) and, for items those don't cover, USDA weekly store-ad sale prices, which run low. None is the owner's cost. Tap water is costed at 0.

What the assistant reads

Works out a restaurant's prime cost from the owner's own figures for one week or month, as the free prime cost calculator on restaurantdoctorai.com does: food and drink used plus labor, as a share of net sales, against the target for its type of restaurant, with what the points over or under are worth, food and labor each against their own range, and which to look at first. Takes net sales, food and drink purchases and wages, plus optional payroll taxes and benefits, stock counts and the owner's unpaid hours, in any currency; a figure that isn't sent is never counted as 0. Returns the calculator's result, how it was worked out, and a link that opens the calculator with the same figures filled in. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (2 needed, 7 optional)

• formatNeededThe type of restaurant, which sets the targets: prime cost, and the ranges for food and drink and for labor: quick_service = Quick service (Counter or kiosk, fast turnover); fast_casual = Fast casual (Order at the counter, food brought to the table); full_service = Full service / casual dining (Servers, moderate check); fine_dining = Fine dining (Chef-driven, higher check); bar_lounge = Bar, taproom or lounge (Drinks are about half of sales or more); cafe = Café or coffee shop (Drinks lead, with pastries and light food).
• periodNeededWhether every figure covers one week or one month, the same dates for all of them. Sets how a year is worked out (52 weeks or 12 months).
• salesOptionalNet sales for the period, in the owner's own currency like every figure here, from the POS sales summary: after discounts and comps, before tax and tips, with any service charge paid out to staff added back. Needed for a result, and more than 0; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• purchasesOptionalFood and drink supplier invoices for the same dates, added up by delivery date, minus credits. No packaging. Needed for a result; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• wagesOptionalEvery wage and salary for the same dates, from payroll, managers included (a salary counts as a 52nd of a year for a week, a 12th for a month). No tips, but a service charge paid to staff stays in. Needed for a result; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• payrollCostsOptionalOptional: the employer's payroll taxes and benefits for the period, such as health insurance or a pension, when the wages figure leaves them out.
• openingStockOptionalOptional: stock at cost at the start of the period. Used only with closingStock: food and drink then becomes what was used, opening + purchases - closing.
• closingStockOptionalOptional: stock at cost at the end of the period, counted on the same items the invoices cover. Used only with openingStock.
• ownerPayOptionalOptional: when the owner works in the restaurant without a salary, what they'd pay someone to do their hours, plus the payroll taxes on it. It's a second figure; the main one stays as the books have it.

What the assistant reads

Works out a restaurant's labor cost from the owner's own payroll figures for one week or month, as the free labor cost calculator on restaurantdoctorai.com does, in one of its three modes: share (labor as a % of net sales, against the range for its type of restaurant, with what the points over are worth), hours (next period's labor budget and the hourly staff hours it pays for once salaries are paid) or line (the cut line: the sales per labor hour below which the first person goes home). Takes net sales, hourly pay and hours worked, plus optional salaries, payroll taxes and benefits, expected sales, a target and more, in any currency; a figure that isn't sent is never counted as 0. Returns the calculator's result, how it was worked out, and a link that opens the calculator with the same figures filled in. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (3 needed, 10 optional)

• modeNeededWhat to work out, as the page's tabs. share: last period's labor cost, % of net sales, against the range (needs sales, hourlyWages). hours: the labor budget for next period's expected sales and the hourly staff hours it pays for (needs forecast, hourlyWages, hours). line: the cut line, the sales per labor hour below which the first person goes home (needs hourlyWages, hours, and sales or forecast).
• formatNeededThe type of restaurant, which sets the labor range and the starting target: quick_service = Quick service (Counter or kiosk, fast turnover); fast_casual = Fast casual (Order at the counter, food brought to the table); full_service = Full service / casual dining (Servers, moderate check); fine_dining = Fine dining (Chef-driven, higher check); bar_lounge = Bar, taproom or lounge (Drinks are about half of sales or more); cafe = Café or coffee shop (Drinks lead, with pastries and light food).
• periodNeededWhether the figures are a week's or a month's: last period's, all for the same dates, and forecast for the next. Sets how a year is worked out (52 weeks or 12 months).
• salesOptionalLast period's net sales, in the owner's own currency like every amount here, from the POS: after discounts and comps, before tax and tips, plus any service charge paid out to staff. Needed for share, and for line without forecast.
• hourlyWagesOptionalLast period's gross pay for everyone paid by the hour, from payroll: by the days worked, overtime in, tips out. 0 if all are salaried (share only). Needed in every mode.
• hoursOptionalHours those staff worked last period, from the time clock: overtime in, salaried managers out. Needed for hours and line.
• salariesOptionalOptional: salaried pay for the period (a yearly salary ÷ 52, or ÷ 12 for a month).
• payrollCostsOptionalOptional: the employer's payroll taxes and benefits on that pay, such as health insurance. Left out, labor reads lower, unless the pay already includes them.
• overtimeHoursOptionalOptional, for share: how many of the hours worked were overtime.
• ownerPayOptionalOptional, for share: if the owner works without a salary, what someone doing their hours would cost, payroll taxes in. Shown as a second figure.
• forecastOptionalNet sales expected next period, more than 0: the last 4 weeks' (or 3 months') average, adjusted for events and holidays. Needed for hours; for line, the line is then for these sales.
• targetOptionalOptional, for hours and line: the owner's labor target, % of net sales (1 to 99). Left out: the top of the range, where the page starts.
• hourSalesOptionalOptional, for line: net sales in the last hour of a shift, for how many hourly staff it pays for.

What the assistant reads

Works out a restaurant's break-even sales from the owner's figures for one typical month, as the free break-even calculator on restaurantdoctorai.com does: the sales a month needs to pay every bill, also a week, a day open and guests a day; how far the month was above or short of it; what was left over after every bill; what a point of cost moves it by; with and without the owner's own pay; and if prices were 10% lower or higher (an illustration). Hourly pay can rise with sales or stay fixed, or both ways as a range. Takes the month's figures in any currency; a figure not sent is never counted as 0. Returns the result, the working and a link that opens the calculator with the figures in. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (0 needed, 12 optional)

• salesOptionalNet sales for one typical month, in the owner's own currency: the POS sales summary, before tax and tips, app orders at menu price. Not a holiday rush: every figure is for that month. Needed, more than 0; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• purchasesOptionalThat month's food and drink supplier invoices, by delivery date. Needed; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• hourlyPayOptionalThat month's hourly wages from payroll, plus the employer's payroll taxes and benefits; no tips. Paid every two weeks: one pay run × 26 ÷ 12. Needed (0 with no hourly staff); if missing, the reply asks for it.
• otherVariableOptionalThat month's other costs that rise with every sale: card fees, app commissions (app sales minus payouts, without tax and tips), packaging, percentage rent, royalties, ad fund fees; nothing in the food and drink invoices. Needed (0 if none); if missing, the reply asks for it.
• hourlyOptionalWhether hourly staff time goes up and down with sales: yes, shifts are added and cut as it gets busy or quiet; no, about the same team every shift (a bill that stays the same); unsure (the default): both ways, as a range.
• fixedBillsOptionalA month of the bills that stay the same: rent and utilities, salaries with their payroll taxes and benefits, insurance, software, marketing, loan and lease payments in full. No depreciation. Yearly bills ÷ 12. Not the owner's pay. Needed; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• ownerPayOptionalOptional: the owner's own pay a month, if not on payroll. Counted as a bill; break-even is also given without it.
• averageSpendOptionalOptional: average spend per guest, the POS average check or net sales ÷ guests. Turns sales into guests.
• daysPerWeekOptionalOptional: days open a week, a whole number from 1 to 7. Turns the month into a day open (and guests a day, with averageSpend).
• openingStockOptionalOptional: stock at cost at the start of the month. Used only with closingStock: food and drink is then opening + purchases - closing. Skip both if stock stayed steady.
• closingStockOptionalOptional: stock at cost at the end of the month. Used only with openingStock.
• goalOptionalOptional: what the owner would like left over a month after every bill, before income tax. Adds the sales for it.

What the assistant reads

Works out a restaurant's monthly budget from the owner's expected sales and type of restaurant, as the free restaurant budget calculator on restaurantdoctorai.com does: food and drink, labor, prime cost and rent with utilities as money ranges by RestaurantDoctorAI's targets for that type, other operating costs at the owner's share or a 20% working assumption, what's left after every bill, and break-even sales with labor counted both ways. Takes expected net sales and the type, plus optional rent, the owner's own pay and the other costs share, in any currency; a figure that isn't sent is never counted as 0. Returns the calculator's result, how it was worked out, and a link that opens the calculator with the same figures filled in. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (1 needed, 4 optional)

• formatNeededThe type of restaurant, which sets RestaurantDoctorAI's targets the budget is split by: quick_service = Quick service (Counter or kiosk, fast turnover); fast_casual = Fast casual (Order at the counter, food brought to the table); full_service = Full service / casual dining (Servers, moderate check); fine_dining = Fine dining (Chef-driven, higher check); bar_lounge = Bar, taproom or lounge (Drinks are about half of sales or more); cafe = Café or coffee shop (Drinks lead, with pastries and light food).
• salesOptionalExpected net sales for one month, in the owner's own currency like every figure here: before tax and tips. Needed for a result, and more than 0; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• rentOptionalOptional: the owner's own rent, property charges and utilities for a month, together, as the occupancy targets count them. Replaces the occupancy range.
• ownerPayOptionalOptional: the owner's own pay for a month, when it isn't on payroll. Comes off what's left, and counts as a bill that stays the same.
• otherPctOptionalOptional: other operating costs as a % of sales (card fees, packaging, cleaning, repairs, marketing, insurance, software, accounting, loan payments). Left out, 20% is used: a working assumption, not a target or a published figure.

What the assistant reads

Works out what one plate of a dish costs and what to charge for it, as the free plate cost calculator on restaurantdoctorai.com does: from each ingredient's pack price and the amount used (with a usable % for trim), or from a plate cost the owner already knows; then the food cost at the menu price, what's left per plate, the price for their target food cost and the prices inside the range for their type of restaurant, with the tax taken out of a tax-inclusive menu. It works from the owner's own prices and amounts, in any currency; a figure that isn't sent is never counted as 0. Returns the calculator's result, how it was worked out, and a link that opens the calculator with the same figures filled in. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (2 needed, 9 optional)

• modeNeededingredients: from each ingredient's pack price and the amount used. known: from a plate cost the owner already has.
• formatNeededThe type of restaurant, which sets the food cost range and the starting target: quick_service = Quick service (Counter or kiosk, fast turnover); fast_casual = Fast casual (Order at the counter, food brought to the table); full_service = Full service / casual dining (Servers, moderate check); fine_dining = Fine dining (Chef-driven, higher check); bar_lounge = Bar, taproom or lounge (Drinks are about half of sales or more); cafe = Café or coffee shop (Drinks lead, with pastries and light food).
• ingredientsOptionalWith mode ingredients: each ingredient. A sauce or side already costed is one: its cost for a pack of 1 each, 1 each used.
• portionsOptionalWith mode ingredients, needed: how many plates the amounts make, 1 for a single plate.
• extrasOptionalOptional, mode ingredients: small extras without a line of their own (salt, oil, garnish), % of the ingredients; often 5 to 10.
• plateCostOptionalWith mode known, needed: what the ingredients on one plate cost, from a recipe card or costing sheet, in the owner's own currency like every money figure here.
• menuPriceOptionalOptional: the dish's price on the menu. Left out, the result gives the prices to charge, as for a new dish.
• taxIncludedOptionaltrue when menu prices include VAT or GST (UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand); left out when tax is added at the till (US, Canada).
• taxRateOptionalWith taxIncluded, needed: the tax rate in this dish's price, %. Food and drinks can have different rates.
• targetOptionalOptional: the owner's target food cost, %. Left out, the middle of the format's range (32 for full service); none for a bar.
• soldOptionalOptional: how many of this dish sold last month (POS item sales), for the figures a month.

What the assistant reads

Works out a dish's break-even price on a delivery app, the app price that leaves the owner the same money as selling it in their dining room, as the free delivery app price calculator on restaurantdoctorai.com does: the in-house price ÷ (1 − the app's real commission rate), the markup on the in-house price that takes (rounded up to a whole percent), and what the app keeps. Takes the dish's in-house price, in any currency, and one app's real commission rate from its payout statements; a figure that isn't sent is never counted as 0. Returns the calculator's result, how it was worked out, and a link that opens the calculator with the same figures filled in. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (0 needed, 2 optional)

• priceOptionalThe dish's price on the owner's own menu, as a dining room guest pays it, in the owner's own currency (14 or 18.5). Needed for a result, and more than 0; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• rateOptionalOne delivery app's real commission rate, as a percent: 30 for 30%, not 0.30. From a month of that app's payout statements: (menu sales before tax and tips − the app's payout without tax and tips) ÷ those menu sales × 100, so marketing fees, promotions the owner funds and refunds are in it; the rate in the app's plan leaves them out. Each app is worked out on its own. Needed for a result: 0, or from 1 to 89; if missing, the reply asks for it.

What the assistant reads

Works out a dish's calories from its recipe, as the free menu calorie counter on restaurantdoctorai.com does: each ingredient's calories from USDA FoodData Central (a list of 118 common foods) or its pack label, added up, shared by the plates it makes or by portion weight, and rounded once the way US, Ontario or UK and EU menus show calories. Ingredients are matched to that list, never guessed: words that fit several foods come back with the foods to pick from, and words that fit none with the nearest foods, or as not on the list. A pack label's kcal per 100 g comes from the owner's own label, never an estimate: without one, that ingredient can't be counted yet. Returns the menu figure, the exact one, how it was worked out with each food's FDC ID, what to check before printing, and a link that opens the counter with the same recipe filled in. It's an estimate, not a lab test. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (2 needed, 5 optional)

• countryNeededWhere the menu is: sets the energy figure and its rounding. us = US; ontario = Canada (Ontario); ukeu = UK, Ireland or EU (kcal, with the EU's energy factors).
• dishOptionalOptional: the dish's name, for the record.
• ingredientsOptionalWhat goes into the dish or batch, one entry each. Needed for a result; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• portioningNeededplates: one plate, or a batch shared into plates (12 pancakes). weight: portions weighed from a cooked batch (a ladle of soup).
• platesOptionalWith plates: how many plates it makes, 1 for a single plate. Needed then; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• cookedWeightOptionalWith weight: the whole batch, weighed after cooking. Needed then; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• portionWeightOptionalWith weight: one portion. Needed then; if missing, the reply asks for it.

What the assistant reads

Estimates a US restaurant's FICA tip credit (IRS Form 8846, the 45B credit) for a year like the one in its payroll figures, as the free FICA tip credit check on restaurantdoctorai.com does: the employer's 7.65% Social Security and Medicare tax on reported tips, less the tips needed to bring tipped staff's cash wage up to the 5.15 dollars an hour the law fixes for restaurants. Returns the reasons the real answer may be zero first (already claimed, no federal income tax owed, service charges aren't tips, only the business can claim it), then the credit as a range, its worth after the deduction it replaces, the years that may still be open, and sources. It answers questions about taxes on tips, Form 8846, the 45B credit or money the business may be missing on tips. It needs the state, a year's tips reported through payroll (never service charges) and, where the cash wage is under 5.15 dollars, tipped staff's hours that year; whether the return already includes Form 8846 comes first, if known. A figure that isn't sent is never counted as 0. It files nothing, isn't tax advice and takes no payment: the result is an estimate to take to the accountant, with a link that opens the same check with the figures filled in. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (0 needed, 7 optional)

• alreadyClaimedOptionalOptional, asked first: whether the business's return already includes Form 8846 (Form 3800, Part III, line 4f, or the credit on a K-1 from the business): yes, no or unsure (left out: unsure). Yes means there may be nothing left to find.
• stateOptionalThe US state the restaurant is in: a two-letter code (TX) or its name. It sets tipped staff's cash wage from the US Department of Labor's table. Needed for a result unless cashWage is sent; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• cashWageOptionalOptional: the hourly cash wage tipped staff were paid before tips that year, in US dollars (2.13), if it wasn't the state's tipped wage; the lowest if it changed. Used instead of the state's.
• reportedTipsOptionalA year's tips reported through payroll for one business, in US dollars: line 5b of the year's four Forms 941 added up, W-2 box 7 totals, or the year's total from the payroll tips report (Toast, Gusto). Never service charges, automatic gratuities or delivery fees: they're wages. Needed for a result; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• tippedHoursOptionalThe hours tipped staff worked that year, all together, from the payroll hours report. Needed for a result only when the cash wage is under $5.15 an hour (Texas: $2.13); then, if missing, the reply asks for it.
• businessTypeOptionalOptional: how the business files its taxes, which sets what the credit is worth after tax: c_corp = C corporation; s_corp = S corporation (or an LLC taxed as one); partnership = Partnership (or an LLC taxed as one); sole_owner = Sole owner (or a one-owner LLC); unsure = Not sure (left out: unsure).
• owesIncomeTaxOptionalOptional: whether the business (for a pass-through, its owners) usually owes federal income tax: yes, no or unsure (left out: unsure).

What the assistant reads

Checks a US restaurant's card processing fees for one month, as the free card fees check on restaurantdoctorai.com does: the cost per 100 dollars of card sales (the effective rate), against a dated fair range for that type of restaurant (an estimate of a competitive interchange-plus account from Visa's published restaurant interchange, network fees and a fair markup); how far above it the fees are, a month and a year; how they compare with Square's, Toast's, Clover's or Stripe's published rate; what's realistic for that processor, words to read out to it, the fees to question on the statement by name, and the caveats. It answers whether card fees are too high, what the effective rate is, and what to ask the processor. It needs the month's total card sales and total card fees from the processor's statement (every fee, monthly and annual ones included), who processes the cards and what kind of restaurant it is; the number of card sales or the average sale narrows it. A figure that isn't sent is never counted as 0. It doesn't read statements, contact a processor or take payment. Returns the result, how it was worked out, and a link that opens the same check with the figures filled in. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (2 needed, 5 optional)

• cardSalesOptionalA month's card sales in US dollars, from the processor's statement or the POS card report: everything charged to cards, tips included, before fees, without delivery app orders. Needed for a result; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• totalFeesOptionalThe same month's total card fees in US dollars, from the same statement: every fee the processor took (percentage, per-sale, monthly, annual, PCI and statement fees), not one line. Needed for a result; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• processorNeededWho processes the cards (the name at the top of the statement): bank = a bank or independent processor; other = another processor, or not sure.
• formatNeededThe type of restaurant, which sets the likely mix of debit and credit cards: quick_service = Quick service (Counter or kiosk, fast turnover); fast_casual = Fast casual (Order at the counter, food brought to the table); full_service = Full service / casual dining (Servers, moderate check); fine_dining = Fine dining (Chef-driven, higher check); bar_lounge = Bar, taproom or lounge (Drinks are about half of sales or more); cafe = Café or coffee shop (Drinks lead, with pastries and light food).
• cardCountOptionalOptional: the month's number of card sales (transactions), from the same statement. It narrows the fair range to the owner's own sale size.
• averageTicketOptionalOptional: the average card sale in US dollars, when cardCount isn't known. It narrows the fair range too.
• pricingModelOptionalOptional, if the owner knows it: flat = Flat rate: one rate for every card; interchange_plus = Interchange-plus: interchange at cost plus a stated markup; tiered = Tiered: qualified, mid-qualified and non-qualified rates; not_sure = Not sure. It changes the advice, not the fair range.

What the assistant reads

Works out what a US restaurant's reservation app costs it, as the free booking fee check on restaurantdoctorai.com does: a month, a year, per guest who booked through it and as a share of the average spend, from the plan's published price (dated, sourced) or the owner's invoice, plus fees per guest and the percentage on deposits. Of the apps checked, only OpenTable charges per guest: for guests from its own app and website, possibly from Google and partners, and on Basic from the restaurant's own website. Returns a one-sentence headline first, the month line by line, what isn't counted, what the owner can do (book direct, mark no-shows, the contract's notice date), other apps' published prices as information, not a recommendation, the caveats and sources. It answers what OpenTable, Resy, Tock, Yelp, Toast Tables, SpotOn or SevenRooms costs a restaurant per reservation or per guest. It needs the app and plan (on the invoice) and, for OpenTable, last month's guests from its covers report by where they booked; the rest is optional. A figure that isn't sent is never counted as 0. Not affiliated with any app; it reads no account. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (1 needed, 12 optional)

• platformNeededThe app and plan, on the invoice. tock_ = Tock, now sold by Resy; other = any app not listed, with monthlyFee.
• networkCoversOptionalGuests seated last month who booked through the app itself (its own app or site). OpenTable: the Network line of its covers report; needed for OpenTable. Other apps: every guest booked through it, wherever they booked.
• partnerCoversOptionalOpenTable only: guests who booked through Google and other partners, the report's Partner or Affiliate line. Left out: not counted.
• websiteCoversOptionalOpenTable only: guests who booked through the restaurant's own website (a fee each on Basic).
• websiteFlatAddOnOptionalOpenTable Basic only: true if the invoice shows the monthly flat fee for website bookings.
• monthlyFeeOptionalThe invoice's monthly fee: plan plus add-ons, before fees per guest. Left out: the published price. Needed for sevenrooms and other.
• networkCoverFeeOptionalOpenTable or other only: the fee per guest on the invoice, only if it isn't the published one.
• partnerCoverFeeOptionalOpenTable only: the fee per partner guest, from its Billing History tab. Left out: a range.
• prepaidAmountOptionalMoney the app collected last month, from its statement: deposits, prepayments, no-show charges. tock_: prepayments only.
• prepaidFeePercentOptionalThe app's percentage of that money, as a percent (2 for 2%, not 0.02), only if it isn't the published one.
• averageSpendOptionalThe average spend per guest: net sales ÷ guests, from the POS.
• firstMonthOptionalOpenTable Basic only: true if last month was the first 30 days (network guests free).
• renewalDateOptionalNot on opentable_basic or spoton_reserve: the contract's renewal date, YYYY-MM-DD, from the contract; month-to-month plans have none.

What the assistant reads

Works out a restaurant's nightly cash close for one drawer and one day or shift, as the free cash-out sheet on restaurantdoctorai.com does: expected cash (starting bank + cash sales - cash tips paid out - paid outs), over or short against the cash counted, the deposit (counted minus the starting bank), the card difference (processor batch minus POS card sales) when both are sent, and comps, voids and discounts as a share of net sales. Takes the starting bank, cash sales and cash counted, plus optional paid outs, card figures and sales totals, in any currency; a figure that isn't sent is never counted as 0. It sets no normal for over or short. Returns the result, how it was worked out, and a link to the free cash-out sheet. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (0 needed, 11 optional)

• startingBankOptionalThe cash in the drawer at open: one drawer, one day or shift, in the owner's own currency like every figure here. Needed; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• cashSalesOptionalThat day's cash payments, from the POS end-of-day (Z) report. Needed; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• cashTipsPaidOutOptionalOptional: card tips paid to staff in cash from this drawer. Taken off expected cash.
• paidOutsOptionalOptional: cash taken out of the drawer for supplies and the like. Taken off expected cash.
• cashCountedOptionalThe cash counted at close, bank included. Needed; if missing, the reply asks for it.
• cardSalesOptionalOptional: that day's card sales from the POS. With cardBatch, gives the card difference.
• cardBatchOptionalOptional: what the card processor settled for the same day. With cardSales.
• netSalesOptionalOptional: that day's net sales from the POS, before tax and tips. Turns comps, voids and discounts into shares.
• compsOptionalOptional: the day's comps total from the POS. Needs netSales for its share.
• voidsOptionalOptional: the day's voids total from the POS. Needs netSales for its share.
• discountsOptionalOptional: the day's discounts total from the POS. Needs netSales for its share.

What the assistant reads

Works out how a restaurant shares tips, two ways, as the free tip-out sheet on restaurantdoctorai.com does. method percent: a server's tip-out to support roles, each a percentage of the server's net sales or tips, with the total tip-out, what the server keeps from their tips, and an error-level check when the tip-out is more than the tips. method pool: a tip pool shared by hours, with optional points for each role, rounded to the cent with the rounding remainder placed on the largest share. Takes the figures in any currency; a figure that isn't sent is never counted as 0. Returns the split, how it was worked out, the Department of Labor's published points on tips with their sources, and a link to the free tip-out sheet. It only works out a split from the numbers sent; it doesn't say whether a tip-out or a tip pool is allowed. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (1 needed, 6 optional)

• methodNeededpercent: one server's tip-out to support roles, each a % of the base. pool: a tip pool shared by hours, with optional points.
• baseKindOptionalWith percent, needed: netSales or tips, what the roles' percentages are taken of.
• baseOptionalWith percent, needed: the server's net sales for the shift (before tax and tips), or their tips, as baseKind says. In the owner's own currency.
• tipsOptionalWith percent: the server's tips for the shift, to work out what they keep. Not used when baseKind is tips.
• rolesOptionalWith percent, needed: the support roles tipped out.
• poolOptionalWith pool, needed: the tips in the pool for the period.
• membersOptionalWith pool, needed: the people or roles sharing the pool.

What the assistant reads

Works out par levels and what to order for up to 50 kitchen or bar items, as the free prep and par sheet on restaurantdoctorai.com does. Par = use per day × days covered + safety stock (days covered: from the day of the count and the order until the next delivery after this one arrives); order = par minus what's on hand, never below 0, rounded up to whole packs when a pack size is sent. Takes each item's use per day (or per week and the days open a week), days covered, optional safety stock and pack size, and what's on hand, in the owner's own units; a figure that isn't sent is never counted as 0, and an item missing one is returned as incomplete. Returns each item's par and order, the items that need an order, and a link to the free prep and par sheet. The figures aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calculator runs is kept.

What it can send (0 needed, 3 optional)

• itemsOptionalNeeded: the items, up to 50.
• daysOpenPerWeekOptionalDays open a week, 1 to 7. Needed only for items sent with usePerWeek.
• daysCoveredOptionalDays each order covers, for items without their own: from the day of the count and the order to the day the next delivery after this one arrives.

What the assistant reads

Checks a restaurant's own website as the online check on restaurantdoctorai.com does: secure (https), made for phones, a menu written as text that phones and Google can read, online orders on its own terms or only through delivery apps, tap to call, a title and description for Google, and Google's phone speed test (15 to 40 seconds; phoneSpeed: false skips it). Returns each check with what to fix, the three to fix first, and a link to the full online check, which adds the Google listing and places nearby, free on the website. Takes only the website address. The website isn't stored; only an anonymous daily count of checks is kept.

What it can send (1 needed, 1 optional)

• websiteNeededThe restaurant's own website address, such as joesdiner.com or https://www.joesdiner.com. Not a DoorDash, Uber Eats or Google Maps page.
• phoneSpeedOptionalWhether to run Google's phone speed test too (the default). It takes 15 to 40 seconds; false skips it.

What the assistant reads

Lists a US restaurant's coming tax, payroll, license and permit deadlines, as the deadline calendar on restaurantdoctorai.com does: federal dates (payroll forms, tip reports, W-2s, 1099s, returns, estimated tax) and the state's (sales tax, unemployment reports, yearly reports, franchise taxes, minimum wage changes, liquor and health permit dates where one date applies to everyone), each moved for weekends and holidays by the agency's rule, with the rule, what a miss costs and the official source. A state date is given only where the state's own page confirms it; the rest come as what to check with the agency. Also the rules for each hire, and a link that opens the same calendar on the website, where the owner adds their own license and permit dates and gets free email reminders. Takes the state and yes/no answers, no names or emails; scope (federal or state) and withinDays (the next so many days) cut the list. Reminders, not legal or tax advice. The answers aren't stored; only an anonymous daily count of calendars is kept.

What it can send (3 needed, 14 optional)

• stateNeededThe restaurant's US state, two letters (DC for Washington DC).
• staffNeededHas anyone on payroll.
• tipsOptionalCustomers usually tip the staff.
• alcoholNeededSells alcohol.
• businessOptionalHow the business is set up: sole (sole owner, no LLC), llc_single, llc_multi, partnership (no LLC), s_corp or c_corp. Decides the tax return and the state's yearly report. Left out, both return dates come with an "If".
• formedOptionalThe month the LLC or corporation was formed with the state, YYYY-MM. Some states set the yearly report by it.
• salesTaxOptionalHow often the state has the restaurant file sales tax (on its permit letter or state account).
• depositsOptionalWho pays the payroll taxes to the IRS: provider (a payroll company), monthly (the owner, by the 15th), semiweekly (the owner, after each payday).
• contractorsOptionalPays a contractor, or rent to a landlord that isn't a corporation, $2,000 or more a year (1099 forms).
• estimatedOptionalThe owner pays quarterly estimated tax on the business's profit.
• bigTippedOptionalTipped, and staff worked more than 80 hours in total on a typical day last year, all locations together (Form 8027).
• fullTime50Optional50 or more full-time staff on average, counting part-timers' hours, related businesses together (ACA forms).
• catererOptionalMainly catering or a food truck, not a restaurant or bar (OSHA's injury log).
• cityOptionalA city with its own minimum wage, as an id like los-angeles or chicago; left out, the state's rate applies.
• monthsOptionalHow many months ahead to list, 1 to 15 (default 3). The calendar runs to the end of 2027. withinDays, when sent, sets the window instead.
• scopeOptionalOptional, to cut the list: federal (the IRS's and other federal dates only), state (the state's and the city's only) or all (the default). The rules for each hire are listed either way.
• withinDaysOptionalOptional: only the dates in the next so many days, 1 to 460, from today in the state (7 for the coming week). Sent, it replaces months.

What the assistant reads

Searches RestaurantDoctorAI's sourced library: the website's guides and blog posts, the step-by-step fixes from the paid report's playbook, RestaurantDoctorAI's targets by type of restaurant, sourced industry facts, and an expert knowledge base of sourced how-tos, rules and checklists (costs, labor, money, growth, compliance, operations). Keyword search: "break-even", "breakeven" and "break even" are one term, and plurals match. Returns the best passages, each with its id, kind, title, link and source; kind narrows the search to one kind of entry. RestaurantDoctorAI's targets are its own, not industry benchmarks. The query isn't stored; only an anonymous daily count of searches and reads is kept.

What it can send (1 needed, 2 optional)

• queryNeededWhat to look up, in plain words, e.g. 'how to lower food cost', 'tip pool rules' or 'delivery app commission'.
• limitOptionalHow many passages to return, 1 to 8 (default 5).
• kindOptionalOnly this kind of entry: guide (the website's guides), post (blog posts), play (the step-by-step fixes from the paid report's playbook), targets (RestaurantDoctorAI's targets by type of restaurant), fact (sourced industry facts) or knowledge (sourced how-tos, rules and checklists). Left out, every kind.

What the assistant reads

Lists the entries of RestaurantDoctorAI's sourced library, all or one kind (guide, post, play, targets, fact or knowledge), up to 50 at a time: each with its id, kind, title, link and source, and for guides and blog posts the day it was published and last updated. It shows what the library has, such as every blog post and its date. Pages with offset and limit; nextOffset gives the next page. Nothing about the request is stored; only an anonymous daily count of searches (a list counts as one) is kept.

What it can send (0 needed, 3 optional)

• kindOptionalWhich kind of entry to list: guide (the website's guides), post (blog posts), play (the step-by-step fixes from the paid report's playbook), targets (RestaurantDoctorAI's targets by type of restaurant), fact (sourced industry facts) or knowledge (sourced how-tos, rules and checklists); or all (the default).
• offsetOptionalHow many entries to skip (default 0). Send the nextOffset a list gave for the next page.
• limitOptionalHow many entries to return, 1 to 50 (default 20).

What the assistant reads

Reads one entry of RestaurantDoctorAI's library in full (a guide, a blog post, a playbook fix, the targets, a fact or a knowledge entry), by its id (such as 'guide:restaurant-prime-cost'), with its title, link and source. A long entry comes 8,000 characters at a time, with its total length: send the nextOffset it gives as offset for the next part. The query isn't stored; only an anonymous daily count of searches and reads is kept.

What it can send (1 needed, 1 optional)

• idNeededAn entry id, as the library's search and list give it, e.g. 'guide:restaurant-prime-cost' or 'post:restaurant-break-even-point'.
• offsetOptionalWhere to start, in characters (default 0, the start). A long entry comes 8,000 characters at a time: send the nextOffset a read gave for the next part.