Pubs and Bars Back-Office Services
Back-office services for pubs and bars. Hospitality Industry (General) payroll, industry-specific bookkeeping, compliance and IT support.
Applicable Award
Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020
Running a pubs and bar business means juggling operational demands with administrative complexity. Award-compliant payroll, BAS obligations, supplier management, and compliance tracking all compete for time that should be spent on customers and growth. Valont provides back-office services specifically configured for pubs and bars, with genuine understanding of the award provisions, financial metrics, and operational realities that define your industry.
The Award: Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020
Classifications: Food and Beverage Levels 1-5, with additional Gaming classifications where applicable under state legislation
Ordinary hours: 38 hours per week, up to 11.5 hours per shift
Penalty rates: Saturday 150%, Sunday 175%, public holidays 250%. Evening 115%. Late night (after midnight) additional loading in some enterprise agreements.
Minimum engagement: 2 hours casual minimum
Key allowances: split shift, meal, uniform/laundry. RSA requirement for all bar staff.
Getting these provisions wrong creates systematic underpayment that compounds with every pay period. The Fair Work Ombudsman actively monitors compliance in this sector, and the penalties for deliberate underpayment were significantly increased under recent legislation. Valont's payroll specialists configure your payroll software with the exact award rules for each employee classification, eliminating manual interpretation errors.
Challenges Specific to Pubs and Bars
- Gaming revenue accounting — EGM reconciliation, gaming tax compliance (state-specific rates and thresholds)
- TAB and wagering facilities — revenue share accounting with racing operators
- RSA compliance monitoring — ensuring all staff serving alcohol hold current RSA certificates
- Liquor licensing conditions — patron numbers, noise restrictions, CCTV requirements, lockout compliance
- Multi-revenue-stream accounting — bar, bistro, gaming, TAB, functions, accommodation (if applicable)
- Cash handling in high-volume bar environment — reconciliation and loss prevention
These aren't generic business challenges — they're the specific operational and compliance issues that pubs and bars owners deal with daily. A generalist bookkeeper or payroll provider may not understand or address them. Valont does, because our service is configured around your industry's actual requirements.
Financial Metrics That Matter
Standard P&L reporting isn't enough for pubs and bars. You need industry-specific metrics to make informed decisions:
Beverage pour cost %, gaming revenue per EGM, food vs beverage vs gaming revenue split, daily cash reconciliation, wage cost % by department
We configure your reporting to track these metrics monthly, giving you the visibility to identify margin drift, optimise operations, and make confident business decisions based on data rather than gut feel.
How Valont Helps Pubs and Bars
Finance Hub
Industry-configured bookkeeping with H&L, Bepoz, Idealpos POS → Xero/MYOB, gaming management systems, Deputy/Tanda rostering. BAS prepared from correctly coded, fully reconciled data. Real-time reporting with the industry-specific metrics above. Cash flow forecasting that accounts for your seasonal patterns and payment timing.
People Hub
Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020-compliant payroll processing. Every employee classified correctly, every penalty rate calculated accurately, every allowance applied. STP reporting with each pay run. Superannuation initiated on schedule. Ongoing payroll audits reviewing all classifications and rates against current award provisions.
Operations Hub
Managed IT support and Essential Eight cybersecurity. Your POS, accounting, payroll, and rostering systems monitored and maintained. Data backup with regular restoration testing. Staff devices protected with endpoint security. MFA enforced across all business-critical systems.
Indicative Pricing
15-40 staff: Finance + People Hub $2,000-$4,000/month. Operations Hub adds $80-$200 per user per month. Fixed-fee, no hourly billing, month-to-month engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you understand the Hospitality Industry (General) Award?
Yes. Our payroll specialists are experienced with the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 including its classification structure, penalty rate schedule, allowance provisions, and overtime calculations. We configure payroll software (KeyPay or Employment Hero) with the specific award rules and conduct quarterly audits to ensure ongoing compliance.
Can you integrate with our existing software?
Yes. We integrate with the industry-standard platforms: H&L, Bepoz, Idealpos POS → Xero/MYOB, gaming management systems, Deputy/Tanda rostering. We work within your existing systems and recommend changes only where they deliver genuine operational benefit.
What makes Valont different from a general bookkeeper?
A general bookkeeper processes transactions. Valont configures your entire back-office around pubs and bars-specific requirements — from award-compliant payroll and industry-specific reporting metrics to integrated IT and cybersecurity. We understand the operational challenges unique to pubs and bars and build our service around them.
How much does this cost for a pubs and bar business?
15-40 staff: Finance + People Hub $2,000-$4,000/month. This replaces the combined cost of separate bookkeeper, payroll provider, and the owner's admin time. Fixed-fee with no hourly billing — the same price regardless of how many questions you ask.
Built for Pubs and Bars, Not Adapted From a Template
Your back-office should understand your industry. Ours does.
Book a Discovery ConversationOur Services
Integrated back-office for Pubs and Bars businesses.
Finance Hub
People Hub
Operations Hub
Growth Hub
Ready to streamline your Pubs and Bars back-office?
Get a free assessment of your current back-office operations and see how Valont can help.