restaurant-hotel-complete-guide
Complete Guide to Running Your Restaurant or Hotel with SidhaHisab
A step-by-step walkthrough for restaurant owners and hotel managers — covering menu setup, Quick Sale POS, Kitchen Display (KOT), BOM/inventory, reports, and WhatsApp billing, all in one system.
Complete Guide to Running Your Restaurant or Hotel with SidhaHisab
Whether you run a standalone restaurant, a hotel dining room, a cloud kitchen, or a café chain — SidhaHisab connects every part of your operation in one place. This guide walks through the entire workflow, from the first day of setup to daily operations.
1. How It All Fits Together
Before diving into features, here is the big picture of how SidhaHisab works for a food business:
Guest places order
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Quick Sale POS (cashier / waiter)
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├── Token number issued automatically
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Kitchen Display (KOT)
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├── Pending → Preparing → Ready → Served
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▼
Order Dashboard (manager view)
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├── Payment collected and invoice sent
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Inventory auto-deducted via BOM recipe
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Reports and accounting updated in real time
Everything is connected. A plate sold at the counter automatically reduces ingredient stock, updates today's sales report, and can trigger a WhatsApp invoice to the customer — without any manual steps.
2. First-Time Setup
Business Information
Start by filling in your business profile at Settings → Tenant Information: business name, address, and GST/VAT registration number. This information appears on every invoice you print or share.
The Setup Checklist
Complete these steps before taking your first order:
| Step | Where |
|---|---|
| Add tax rates (CGST, SGST, service charge) | Products & Catalog → Tax Configuration |
| Define units of measure (plate, kg, litre, glass) | Products & Catalog → Units of Measure |
| Create menu categories (Starters, Mains, Beverages) | Products & Catalog → Product Categories |
| Add menu items with prices and images | Products & Catalog → Products |
| Add staff accounts and assign roles | Role & Permission |
3. Setting Up Your Menu
Product Categories
Organise your menu before adding individual items. Go to Products & Catalog → Product Categories and create sections like Starters, Main Course, Desserts, and Beverages.
Adding Menu Items
Go to Products & Catalog → Products and click Add Product. For each item, fill in:
- Product name — as it will appear on the POS and kitchen screen
- Category — so cashiers can filter quickly
- Selling price — base price per plate / piece / glass
- Tax profile — the rate applied at billing
- Unit — Plate, Piece, Glass, etc.
- Image — helps staff identify dishes at a glance
Variants (Half / Full, Small / Large)
For items with size or portion options, use Product Attributes to define variants with individual prices. A "Biryani" product can have a Half variant at ₹150 and a Full variant at ₹280 — the POS shows a selection pop-up when the item is tapped.
4. Quick Sale POS — Taking Orders
The Quick Sale POS is the main counter screen for token-based restaurants and hotels.
Navigate to Sales & Orders → Quick Sale POS.
How to Place an Order
- Select a table number or enter a customer name.
- Browse the product grid or use the alphabet scroll on the right to jump to items.
- Tap an item to add it. If it has variants, a selection window opens.
- Adjust quantities in the cart using + / − buttons.
- Click Place Order — a token number is issued and the order is sent to the kitchen instantly.
The "Can Prepare" Badge
Every product card shows a green number badge — for example, "Can prepare: 12". This tells you how many portions can be made right now based on current ingredient stock. The badge turns red when stock is critically low.
This calculation is powered by the Bill of Materials (BOM) you define per product — more on that in Section 7.
Billing
After the guest finishes, open the order from the Order Dashboard, click Generate Bill, collect payment, and send the invoice on WhatsApp in one tap.
5. Kitchen Display (KOT)
The Kitchen Display is designed to be mounted on a screen in the kitchen. Kitchen staff manage orders here without needing to come to the counter.
Navigate to Sales & Orders → Kitchen Display.
The Three-Lane Board
Orders flow through three columns:
| Column | Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | Orange | Received, not yet started |
| Preparing | Blue | Actively being cooked |
| Ready | Green | Done, waiting to be served |
Each card shows the token number, table, waiter name, items ordered, and a live elapsed time clock. The clock turns red for overdue orders so nothing gets forgotten during a busy service.
Moving Orders
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Start | Pending → Preparing |
| Mark Ready | Preparing → Ready |
| Serve | Ready → Served |
Kitchen staff can also filter by station — so the grill section only sees grill items and the beverage station only sees drinks.
6. Order Dashboard and Live Operations
Order Dashboard
The Order Dashboard (Sales & Orders → Order Dashboard) gives a table view of every order — token number, customer, items, status, and total. Use it to track payments, reprint bills, or handle disputes.
Live Operations
The Live Operations screen (Sales & Orders → Live Operations) gives a manager a real-time overview of every active table and order at once. Ideal for busy service periods when you are walking the floor.
7. Inventory and Bill of Materials (BOM)
How Inventory Deduction Works
Every time a product is sold, SidhaHisab deducts ingredients from stock automatically — based on the recipe you define. This means:
- No manual stock entries after each service
- Accurate "Can prepare" counts on the POS
- Real-time stock levels for purchase planning
Defining a Recipe from the POS
- On the Quick Sale POS screen, click the BOM button on any product card.
- The BOM modal opens. Choose Base Recipe or a specific variant (e.g., Full portion).
- Add ingredient lines:
- Select the ingredient from your stock list
- Choose the unit (kg, gram, litre, ml, piece)
- Enter the quantity per portion
- Enter wastage % if needed (e.g., 5% for sauces)
- Click Save Recipe.
Unit Conversion — Kg vs Gram Example
If your stock is tracked in kg but your recipe uses grams, simply select "gram" as the unit and enter the quantity in grams. SidhaHisab converts automatically before saving. A recipe line of 250 grams is stored as 0.25 kg against the stock — no manual conversion needed.
Variant Recipes
A product like "Biryani" can have a separate BOM for each portion size. The Half portion uses 150g rice while the Full portion uses 300g. Select the appropriate variant in the BOM modal to set each independently.
8. Managing Customers
Go to People & Partners → Customers to maintain your customer database. Assign Customer Types (Regular, VIP, Corporate) to apply different pricing tiers or track loyalty.
For corporate accounts or hotels with house accounts, the Customer Dues report (Reports & Insights → Customer Dues) shows all outstanding balances at a glance.
9. Suppliers and Purchase Orders
When stock runs low, raise a purchase order directly in the system:
- Go to Sales & Orders → Purchase Orders → New Purchase Order.
- Select the supplier and add the raw materials needed.
- When goods arrive, mark the PO as received — stock updates automatically.
View full supplier purchase history at Reports & Insights → Purchase Timeline.
10. Expense Tracking
Track operational costs like gas, electricity, staff wages, and marketing separately from sales:
- Go to Accounting & More → Expense Tracker → Add Expense.
- Categorise each expense (Utilities, Staff, Raw Materials, Marketing).
- All expenses are reflected in the Accounting Reports for a complete profit-and-loss view.
11. Reports That Matter for Restaurants
SidhaHisab gives you reports without any spreadsheet work:
| Report | Where to find it | What it answers |
|---|---|---|
| All Transactions | Reports → All Transactions | What was the total revenue today / this week? |
| Top-Selling Products | Reports → Top-Selling Products | Which dishes are driving the most revenue? |
| Stock Snapshot | Reports → Stock Snapshot | What ingredients are running low right now? |
| Stock Forecast | Reports → Stock Forecast | When will I need to reorder each ingredient? |
| Payment Overview | Reports → Payment Overview | How much was paid by cash vs card vs UPI? |
| Customer Dues | Reports → Customer Dues | Which accounts owe me money? |
| Accounting Reports | Accounting & More | What is my gross profit this month? |
All reports support date-range filters and can be exported to Excel.
12. Sending Bills on WhatsApp
After generating a bill, tap Share on WhatsApp — the invoice is sent directly to the customer's phone number. No manual screenshots or forwarding needed.
For hotels managing bulk communication (event confirmations, check-in reminders, feedback requests), use WhatsApp Chat in the sidebar or the CRM Inbox for a unified view of all customer conversations across WhatsApp and email.
13. Staff Roles and Access
Assign roles so each team member sees only what they need:
| Role | Suitable For | Key Access |
|---|---|---|
| TenantOwner | Business owner | Full access |
| admin | Operations manager | All modules |
| manager | Shift manager | Orders, reports |
| TeamMember | Waiter / cashier | Quick Sale POS only |
Go to Role & Permission to create roles and Settings → User Management to invite staff by email.
14. Quick Reference for Daily Operations
Start of day:
- Check stock levels at Reports → Stock Snapshot
- Review any low-stock or out-of-stock items
- Confirm Kitchen Display is visible in the kitchen
During service:
- Cashiers use Quick Sale POS for orders
- Kitchen staff update KOT as orders progress
- Manager monitors Live Operations
End of day:
- Review All Transactions report for the day's total
- Check Payment Overview for cash/card reconciliation
- Note any items that reached zero stock for reordering
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a tablet at the counter?
Yes. The Quick Sale POS and Kitchen Display are touch-friendly and work in any modern browser.
What if two staff accidentally edit the same order?
The system shows the latest saved state. For concurrent edits, the last save wins — coordinate with your team to avoid overlap during busy hours.
Can I handle returns?
Yes. Go to Sales & Orders → Return Orders, select the original order, and mark items returned. Stock is added back automatically.
Can I manage multiple branches?
Yes. Each branch runs as a separate tenant. Switch branches using the branch selector at the top of the screen.
Where do I see yesterday's sales in one number?
Reports → All Transactions → set date filter to yesterday. Total is shown at the bottom of the table.
SidhaHisab is built for Indian food businesses — GST-ready, WhatsApp-integrated, and designed for the pace of a busy restaurant or hotel.
Related: Restaurant & cafe software · POS billing · Inventory management · Book a demo