Multi-branch restaurant management software for owners with several outlets

The second branch problem

The first restaurant works because the owner is there. He knows the cashier, tastes the karahi, checks the cash at night and knows when the chicken supplier is short-weighting. Then the second branch opens across town or in another city, and suddenly half of what he knew comes to him second-hand, over the phone, at midnight.

Multi-branch restaurant management software is about getting that first-hand view back. In ArfaPOS, every branch bills on its own counter, but sales, expenses, stock and staff all come back to one account. Multi-branch is part of the Business plan. For broader advice on growing beyond one location, read our guide on running multiple restaurant branches.

A worked example: three branches, one month

A family-owned BBQ chain has three outlets in Lahore. Here is one month's sales and food cost, taken from the branch reports:

All three branches use the same menu and the same recipes, yet Johar Town runs five percentage points above Gulberg. Five percent of Rs 2,100,000 is Rs 105,000 a month. That is roughly what a full-time cook costs, disappearing every month in one branch.

Without branch-level numbers, this gap would be invisible. Total profit across the three outlets might still look acceptable. With the comparison in front of him, the owner knows exactly where to look: portion sizes at Johar Town, wastage at closing time, staff meals, or a supplier delivering short. Recipe-linked stock and the stock history let him check usage against sales for that branch alone.

What to standardise across branches

1. The menu and prices. Customers expect the same item to cost the same at every outlet, unless you deliberately price a branch differently.
2. Recipes and portions. Use the same recipe for each item so the food tastes the same and food cost can be compared fairly.
3. Opening and closing routines. Same till open and close per cashier, same expense rules, same stock checks.
4. Staff roles. Cashiers bill, branch managers handle their outlet, and only head office sees the full picture. Audit logs show who changed what.
5. Supplier rates. Where possible, negotiate centrally so one branch is not paying more for the same chicken.

Central warehouse or branch buying?

Many chains buy dry stock like rice, oil, flour and packaging centrally and send it to branches, while fresh items like vegetables are bought locally each morning. ArfaPOS supports both: warehouse sections for the central stock, kitchen sections at each branch, and stock transfers between them. When 20 tins of oil leave the warehouse for DHA, the warehouse goes down and DHA goes up. If DHA later reports it has run out, you can see what was sent and when. The restaurant inventory software page explains stock locations in more detail.

Expenses, payroll and accounts

Each outlet has its own small expenses: gas cylinders, ice, a plumber, rickshaw fares to the market. Every branch records these by category as they happen, and you see them alongside that branch's sales. Payroll handles salaries for all branches with allowances, deductions and salary advances, and the double-entry accounting on Business gives you a balance sheet and profit and loss for the whole business. A branch whose expense spend keeps climbing while sales stay flat is worth a phone call. See petty cash software for how a cash float works.

What multi-branch costs

Branches are added to your account as add-ons: Rs 3,000 a month for a branch with Starter features, Rs 8,000 with Growth features and Rs 13,000 with Business features. For example, one Business account plus two extra branches with Business features comes to Rs 14,999 + Rs 26,000 = Rs 40,999 a month. A small outlet that only needs billing can run with Starter features to keep the cost down. Send your branch list through the Get a quote form and we will confirm the figure for your setup.

The AiroxLab team sets up each branch remotely and trains the staff over video call and WhatsApp, so a new outlet in Multan or Islamabad does not need anyone from head office to travel.