Hospitality chart of accounts template

One chart that works across several venue formats, so a group can consolidate without every site inventing its own account names.

46Accounts
3Levels deep
2Formats

Built on restaurant and bar practice, generalised so it fits more than one venue format. Sales, cost of sales, labor, occupancy, operating and marketing are each grouped.

Download the hospitality chart

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Format

Opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers. No spam.

What is different

A group cannot consolidate what its venues named differently

The problem with multi-venue reporting is rarely the numbers. It is that one site calls it Bar Purchases, another calls it Beverage COGS, and a third has both. Consolidation then needs a human to map them every month.

This chart gives every venue the same names and the same numbering. The individual site keeps whatever detail it needs underneath, but the level a group reports on is identical everywhere, so consolidation is arithmetic rather than interpretation.

The chart

The full Hospitality chart of accounts

All 46 accounts, with the note that tells you what belongs in each one. This is the same file the download gives you, rendered here so you can read it without opening a spreadsheet.

CodeAccountTypeWhat belongs here
4000SalesIncomeTop-level sales. Group the lines below by what you actually sell.
4010Food SalesIncomeKitchen, snack and bar food sales.
4020Beverage SalesIncomeAll drink sales where you do not split alcohol from non-alcohol.
4030Event & Private Dining RevenueIncomePrivate dining rooms and event bookings.
4040Catering RevenueIncomeRevenue from catering contracts, billed per head or per event.
4050Service ChargesIncomeMandatory service charges added to a check or contract.
4060Merchandise SalesIncomeBranded apparel, glassware and retail packaged goods.
4900Other IncomeOther incomeIncome outside representation activity.
5000Cost of SalesCost of goods soldDirect cost of goods and service delivered.
5010Beverage - COGSCost of goods soldContra or offset line used where beverage cost is tracked against beverage revenue.
5020Food - COGSCost of goods soldFood cost for items sold. Use with a matching food revenue line.
5030Packaging & DisposablesCost of goods soldContainers, bags, cutlery and disposables that leave with the order.
5040Merchandise - COGSCost of goods soldCost of merchandise sold. Pair with merchandise revenue.
6000LaborExpenseSummary labor. Payroll rarely arrives as a vendor invoice.
6010Wages - Front of HouseExpenseFront of house wages not charged to cost of sales.
6020Wages - Back of HouseExpenseBack of house wages not charged to cost of sales.
6030Management SalariesExpenseGeneral manager, bar manager and assistant managers.
6040Payroll TaxesExpenseFICA, Medicare, FUTA and SUTA.
6050Employee BenefitsExpenseHealth cover, retirement contributions and other benefits.
6060Staff MealsExpenseMeals provided to staff on shift.
6070Contract LaborExpenseIndividuals engaged as contractors rather than employees. Watch the 1099 threshold.
6090OccupancyExpenseCosts of holding the premises, including rent and building services.
6600RentExpenseBase rent on premises.
6500UtilitiesExpenseElectricity, gas, water and waste for the premises.
6200Repairs & MaintenanceExpenseRepairs and upkeep of the building, plant and fixtures.
6800OperatingExpenseDay to day operating costs of running the venue.
6100Linen & CleaningExpenseLinen hire and cleaning services.
6210Pest ControlExpenseScheduled and emergency pest management.
6220Waste RemovalExpenseGeneral waste, recycling, food waste and confidential shredding.
6300SecurityExpenseContract security, guarding and loss prevention.
6810Kitchen & Bar SmallwaresExpensePans, utensils and small kitchen and bar equipment below the capital threshold.
6820Operating SuppliesExpenseConsumable supplies used running the operation.
6700Permits & LicensesExpensePermits and licences required to operate.
6830InsuranceExpenseProperty, contents, general and umbrella liability insurance.
6840Credit Card Processing FeesExpenseMerchant fees on card payments taken from customers.
6850Bank FeesExpenseAccount, wire and other charges levied by the bank.
6860Software & POSExpensePoint of sale software and the systems that run the floor.
6870Professional FeesExpenseAccounting, legal and consulting fees.
6880Equipment RentalExpenseGear rented in for a specific job.
6390MarketingExpenseMarketing and promotion of the venue.
6400Marketing & PromotionExpenseGeneral promotion of the business rather than a single show.
6450Entertainment & TalentExpensePerformers and entertainment booked for the room.
6460Comps & DiscountsExpenseValue of comped and discounted items, tracked as an expense.
9000Other ExpenseOther expenseBelow the line costs that are not part of operations.
9010DepreciationOther expensePeriodic write-down of capitalised assets.
9020Interest ExpenseOther expenseInterest on notes payable and long-term debt.

Questions

Hospitality chart of accounts questions

Should each venue have its own chart of accounts?
Each venue needs its own books, but not its own chart. Use one chart across the group and separate venues by class, location or entity in your accounting software. That way a group P&L consolidates without mapping, and you can still read any single site on its own.
How do I handle a group with different venue types?
Use this chart as the shared spine and let each format add the lines it needs underneath. A hotel adds room revenue, a nightclub adds door and bottle service. As long as the parent accounts match, the group still consolidates cleanly.
Where should labor sit?
This chart carries labor as its own group rather than burying it in operating expenses, because in hospitality labor is a controllable cost that management acts on weekly. Keeping it separate lets you read prime cost, which is cost of sales plus labor, straight off the P&L.
What is prime cost and why does this chart make it visible?
Prime cost is cost of sales plus labor, the two costs a hospitality operator can actually move in a given week. Most venues run 60 to 65 percent. Because this chart groups both separately from occupancy and overhead, prime cost is a subtotal rather than a calculation you rebuild by hand.

See your own invoices coded to this chart

Send us a week of real vendor invoices. We will run them through Cleo, code each one to the right account, and show you the result posted in QuickBooks.