Restaurant Owners: Have You Been Overlooking this Key Savings Opportunity?

August 22, 2022

At a glance

  • Time to stop overpaying: 85% of businesses overpay on banking services, including transaction fees, interest rates, processing costs, and more. Don’t be one of them.
  • New ways to save: Treasury optimization services can provide the creative solutions restaurant owners need to save money on banking services and boost cash flow.
  • Next steps: Schedule a consultation to assess your current banking contracts and identify whether you’re eligible for new savings.

The full story:

The restaurant industry is notorious for small profit margins, meaning restaurant owners are always looking for new solutions to boost cash flow. If you’re wondering where to look for the next savings opportunity for your restaurant, it’s time to consider venturing into new territory.

When was the last time you did a deep dive into your restaurant’s Profits and Loss (P&L) account?

There may be new opportunities to save hiding in your P&L statement, especially in areas that you wouldn’t traditionally look or previously considered non-negotiable. For example, did you know that there could be significant savings opportunities in your financial expenses, including bank charges, bank fees, loan interest, etc.? Most restaurant owners see these expenses as simply the cost of doing business, but there may be more wiggle room than you think. In fact, 85% of businesses overpay for their banking services.

Of course, doing your own deep analysis of a P&L statement can be daunting, especially if you’re not well-versed in business and finance. And even if you do have the time and skills for a detailed analysis, few restaurant owners have the additional time and resources necessary to research alternative banking solutions, negotiate new rates, and realize actual savings. These types of administrative tasks and negotiations aren’t a feasible priority when you’re more concerned with day-to-day operations.

Treasury Optimizations services can help busy restaurant owners chase down new savings opportunities.

You can’t be the expert in every aspect of running your business, but you can surround yourself with the right team. Treasury optimization means partnering with experts who have unique perspectives, industry experience, and banking relationships to negotiate significant savings on your behalf.

Treasury optimization can assess your current setup – including your banking contracts, transaction fees, interest rates, merchant processing costs, and more – then help you research competing options to find and negotiate the best possible rates. And if moving to a new bank is a concern, know that treasury optimization advisors prioritize your current banking relationship as much as possible by simply leveraging the optimization process to counsel your bank and drive savings.

Still have doubts whether treasury optimization could work for your restaurant? Learn how Aprio’s Treasury Optimization team helped two global restaurant brands reduce service fees by 20%.

The bottom line

Restaurant owners need to get creative to find new savings solutions. Since most restaurant owners consider banking expenses a necessary non-negotiable evil, utilizing treasury optimization services can help your restaurant tap into a new source of savings.

Dana Zukofsky, Tommy Lee, and Jessica Hussain from Aprio’s Restaurant, Franchise, and Hospitality group work closely with Aprio’s Treasury Optimization Services to help restaurant owners achieve “Best in Class” pricing on banking expenses.

Schedule a consultation today to learn whether you’re one of the 85% overpaying for banking services.

Related resources

Stay informed with Aprio.

Get industry news and leading insights delivered straight to your inbox.

Stay informed with Aprio. Subscribe now.

About the Author

Dana Zukofsky

Dana Zukofsky is the Restaurant, Franchise & Hospitality Practice Leader at Aprio, providing advisory, accounting and consulting services to help foster profitability and growth.


Tim Saulnier

Tim partners with clients to negotiate lower banking fees and structure their treasury functions to save money and maximize profitability. Through data analysis, Tim identifies opportunities for savings across transaction fees, foreign exchange fees, deposits, commercial card rebates and merchant processing fees. Before joining Aprio, Tim spent 23 years in banking operations and treasury sales. Recognizing a disconnect between customers and their banking institutions, Tim created his unique treasury optimization service model to help Aprio clients maximize their business banking and financial relationships.