Short answer: A restaurant needs a bill in seconds, a clean thermal print, the right GST on food and a daily closing that matches the cash drawer. BizKhata gives you POS and Fast billing, thermal printing, items with their own GST rate and complete accounts for the day, offline on Windows and Mac.
What a small restaurant or cafe needs
- Quick menu entry: item name, rate, tax.
- Fast billing for counter, takeaway and delivery.
- A readable thermal bill with GSTIN where applicable.
- Daily sales, cash and UPI/bank totals.
- Expense and purchase records for raw material.
GST on food: check your category
GST on restaurant services depends on your category, for example whether the restaurant is inside a hotel above a stated tariff, whether input tax credit is claimed, and whether the shop is a composition dealer. Packaged sweets, bakery items and takeaway may have different rates from dine-in. Confirm the right rate for your case with your CA and set it once on each menu item; BizKhata then applies it on every bill.
Menu as items
Add each dish as an item with rate and GST. Use categories (starters, mains, beverages) so that search is quick. Aliases let staff type a short code instead of the full name.
Counter billing flow
- Type or scan the item code.
- Enter quantity; the total updates.
- Choose payment mode: cash, UPI or card.
- Print the thermal bill or share it on WhatsApp.
Fast billing keeps keystrokes to the minimum for the busy lunch hour.
Daily closing
At the end of the day compare total sales by payment mode against cash in the drawer and the bank credits. Record expenses such as gas, milk, vegetables and salary. The cash book and bank book keep these together, and the trial balance, P&L and balance sheet are ready at any time.
Raw material and suppliers
Record purchases from vendors with their GST invoices. The supplier ledger shows what is due. For bakeries and sweet shops with shelf life, batch and expiry on stock helps you keep fresh stock moving first.
Catering and bulk orders
For party orders, create an Estimate, take an advance and then convert it to a sale invoice, so the advance and balance are clear. Corporate clients can be billed on credit with bill-by-bill outstanding.
Staff and access
Use app lock and role-based access so that cashiers cannot see profit figures.
Why offline
If the internet is slow during the dinner rush, a cloud billing system hangs while customers wait. An offline desktop app keeps working, and your daily data stays with you; just take a daily backup.
Quick comparison
| Need | BizKhata |
|---|---|
| POS and fast billing | Yes |
| Thermal print and WhatsApp share | Yes |
| Item-wise GST | Yes |
| Estimate with advance for orders | Yes |
| Daily cash and bank books | Yes |
| Works offline | Yes |
Note: BizKhata is general GST billing software. If you need table-wise order taking or kitchen order tickets, check that against your requirement during the free trial.
Setting up your menu in 30 minutes
List every dish with a short code, name, price and GST rate. Group them into categories like starters, main course, breads, desserts and beverages. Add aliases for items customers call by different names (“paneer tikka” and “PT”). Mark items you stop serving as hidden rather than deleting them, so old bills stay intact. Revisit prices every quarter, since raw-material costs change.
Takeaway, delivery and dine-in
Keep the same bill flow for all three, and note the order type in the bill narration or party name (for example “Zomato” or “Walk-in”). This helps your daily reports later. If you sell through delivery aggregators, record their commission and payout as expenses and receipts so your books match the platform statements.
Controlling food cost
Record each purchase of vegetables, dairy, flour, oil and gas with the supplier. At month end compare total purchases against total sales. If food cost is above your target (many small restaurants aim for roughly 30 to 35 percent), look for wastage, over-portioning or price changes. The profit and loss statement in BizKhata gives you this view without a spreadsheet.
Bulk and party orders
Take an advance as a receipt against the customer, convert the Estimate into a sale on delivery, and the balance is automatic. This avoids disputes on “what did I pay already?”
Staff, shifts and cash
Run a cash count at every shift change and record it. Use the app lock so only the owner opens profit reports. Take a daily backup to a pen drive or another folder.
Limits to know
BizKhata is a general GST billing and accounting app. It does not run table maps or kitchen order tickets. If your outlet depends on those, try the app in the free trial first, or use it for billing and accounts alongside your ordering system.
About BizKhata
BizKhata is an offline-first desktop GST billing and accounting app for Windows and Mac. It includes Sale, Purchase, Estimate, Credit and Debit notes, POS, Fast billing, Carbon billing mode, GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B checks, e-invoice support, stock with batches and expiry, party ledgers with bill-by-bill outstanding, cash and bank, contra, journal vouchers, trial balance, P&L, balance sheet, share-to-CA export, Busy/Tally-like keyboard keys, dark mode, app lock, and backup and restore. Start the 7-day free trial from the download section; see pricing.
FAQ
Which software is best for a small restaurant? Software that bills fast, prints thermal receipts, handles GST and works offline. Test BizKhata with your own menu in the 7-day trial.
Does it print on a thermal printer? Yes, thermal receipts are supported.
Can I take an advance for a catering order? Yes, use an Estimate, record an advance and convert it to an invoice.
What GST rate applies to restaurants? It depends on your category; confirm with your CA and set it on each item.
Does it work without internet? Yes, it is offline-first.
Can staff see my profit? You can restrict access with role-based access and app lock.