The traditional U.S. back office is no longer a viable option for growing restaurant groups. Fewer people are entering the accounting profession. The result: a shortage of qualified accountants. Restaurant groups feel this shortage acutely. CPA firms recruit aggressively and offer clearer career paths than most internal accounting departments. Most restaurant groups can’t compete for the same talent.
Many operators see outsourcing as just a cost-cutting measure. It’s now a survival strategy. Wait too long, and you’ll be scrambling. Cutting costs now protects you when the next downturn hits, and building a lean operation now keeps you stable later.
To build a scalable finance function, operators have to let go of outdated assumptions about geography and quality. This article will examine the six most common myths that prevent restaurant leaders from achieving true scalability. Debunking these misconceptions reveals how a global model provides more control and higher standards than the traditional back office.
Quality depends on expertise, not location. Some operators worry that remote teams can’t deliver the same quality. They’re missing what’s happened in places like Argentina.
Cities like Rosario and Córdoba produce thousands of accounting graduates each year from nationally ranked universities. Professionals there train to U.S. and international standards. They work in similar time zones and share compatible business cultures.
Teams that focus exclusively on restaurant accounting deliver better results. They understand daily operations, tip pooling, multi-unit reconciliation. A general bookkeeper can’t match that level of fluency.
Restaurant leaders often equate physical proximity with control. They want to walk down the hall and ask questions. Sometimes it’s also about identity, leaders feel more in control when the team is physically nearby
But control doesn’t come from proximity. Having someone in the office doesn’t guarantee accurate books. Relying on one person is actually riskier. When they leave, they take everything they know with them. You’re starting over.
Platforms like Restaurant365 centralize multi-unit data in a single cloud system, giving operators real-time visibility without relying on one person. Your data lives in the system, not in someone’s head. You can check your numbers anytime. You focus on running the business, not managing the accounting staff. The process stays consistent even when people change.
Systematic control provides the data, but effective daily collaboration also requires a team that shares your business culture.
Restaurant operators worry that international teams won’t understand their business. They’re thinking of traditional offshore setups. India or the Philippines mean twelve-hour time differences and communication by ticket. You ask a question in the morning, get an answer the next day.
That model works, but Argentina operates differently. You can Slack your accountant at 2 PM and get an answer in minutes. Time zones are only part of it. Argentines grow up in American culture. People compare Buenos Aires to Miami. Teams in Argentina often consume the same global streaming platforms, sports leagues, and brands, so there’s less cultural translation required than with many traditional offshore destinations.
This cultural proximity is often why operators default to local CPA firms, even when the underlying business model is a poor fit for restaurants.
Operators assume their local CPA firm is the safest choice. It usually backfires. CPA firms make their money on taxes and audits. They’re built for quarterly or annual work, not daily bookkeeping.
Restaurant bookkeeping means processing hundreds of transactions daily. CPA firms can’t do that profitably. Their overhead is too high. So they treat bookkeeping like a side project. Your books get done late, if they get done right at all.
A team that only does restaurant accounting treats your books differently. You’re the core business, not a side gig.
The limitations of a traditional CPA firm become even more apparent as a restaurant group expands across multiple units.
Leaders assume outsourcing can’t handle enterprise complexity. They think it only works for small, owner-operated shops. Large chains actually benefit more. Take a CFO running 120 Taco Bell locations. He worked with a big national firm. The work was a mess. Size didn’t equal quality. Big domestic firms can’t keep up with fast-growing chains.
Switching to a restaurant-focused team saves money. Most chains cut G&A by 20% to 40%. The math is simple: lower labor costs in Argentina. Scale makes outsourcing work better, not worse. More transactions mean more automation and tighter processes. Books close faster and cleaner. A team handling 10,000 transactions a month gets better at it than one handling 100.
This ability to scale is no longer optional because the domestic accounting landscape has changed permanently.
Operators think the labor shortage is temporary. They’re waiting for things to go back to normal. They won’t. Fewer people are becoming accountants every year. That trend isn’t reversing. The traditional U.S. back office is disappearing. Over the next three to five years, building a fully domestic accounting team is likely to become significantly harder and more expensive as the talent shortage continues. What looks like an alternative now will be the only option.
Companies that wait will watch competitors lock in lower costs. By the time domestic hiring becomes impossible, early movers will have saved for years.
The inevitable disappearance of the U.S. back office requires a new approach to your financial foundation.
Most operators wait until they’re in crisis mode. By then, it costs more and disrupts more. You can avoid that. Make the switch now, and you lock in stability. Your costs stay predictable as you grow. Cutting G&A by 20% to 40% gives you capital to deploy elsewhere. New locations. Better tech. Improved guest experience.
GSS helps multi-unit groups make this transition. We handle the Restaurant365 integration and keep your books clean. Don’t wait for hiring to get harder. Build the right infrastructure now, and you’re set for the next five years.
Contact GSS today to discuss how we can help you scale your restaurant group with confidence.
