Coming Out of RFDC: Why Financial Automation Is the New Competitive Edge for Restaurants

RFDC always brings the industry’s sharpest conversations into focus — but this year, one theme was impossible to ignore: automation isn’t the future anymore. It’s the competitive edge separating growing restaurant groups from those constantly trying to catch up.

Across the floor, operators talked about rising costs, shrinking margins, and a pace of change that leaves no space for manual processes or outdated reporting rhythms. And while Sage Intacct was everywhere, what leaders were really searching for was something deeper: a way to turn financial automation into real, operational advantage.

That’s the gap Tablespoon fills — and the reason so many RFDC conversations ended with the same realization: software alone won’t get you there.

Automation Isn’t Just About Speed — It’s About Decision Time

Most restaurant operators don’t suffer from a lack of data. They suffer from a lack of timely, trustworthy, and connected information they can act on before the week is already lost.

Coming out of RFDC, leaders told us the same story:

• Month-end takes too long
• Multi-unit visibility is inconsistent
• Labor and COGS insights show up when it’s already too late
• Operators are drowning in spreadsheets
• Finance teams are stretched thin and stuck in the weeds

Automation changes that — but only when the system is built right for restaurants.

This Is Where the Real Differentiation Lives

Yes, Sage Intacct is powerful. But restaurants don’t win by installing software. They win by configuring a finance system that understands the complexity of multi-unit operations, QSR rhythms, prime cost management, franchising realities, and the daily volatility of the hospitality environment.

RFDC proved something big: restaurant leaders don’t want another vendor. They want a transformative financial partner — one who can help them connect operations, finance, and technology so the business can move faster.

Automation Without Clarity Creates More Noise. Tablespoon Eliminates It.

Our approach is simple:

• Build automation around how your restaurants actually operate
• Connect your POS, labor, AP, and inventory data into one clean source of truth
• Deliver daily visibility so operators can act in real time
• Give finance a system that runs with discipline, accuracy, and sophistication
• Create a path to scale — without adding more administrative burden

This is what “Automate to Accelerate” truly means.
Not dashboards for the sake of dashboards.
Not reports that arrive too late.
Not automation that still needs constant babysitting.

But real transformation that gives restaurant leaders their time back, improves margin clarity, and accelerates decision-making across every unit.

The New Standard for Restaurant Finance Has Arrived

If RFDC was the spark, this month is about implementation. Restaurants that automate the right way — with systems built for efficiency, clarity, and scale — will outperform those still waiting on outdated processes.

Sage Intacct is the engine. Tablespoon is the partner who builds the system that works.

And coming out of RFDC, restaurant leaders made it clear: 2025 is the year to stop playing defense and start building finance systems that accelerate the business.

Let’s get to work.