Parklife Cafe

Parklife Cafe is a warm, dog-friendly Dublin cafe in Harold's Cross built from scratch by Shaun and Carrie. A true labour of love. We talked with the owners about their accounting frustrations and how Outmin finally gave them financial clarity through a combination of Artificial Intelligence and certified accounting experts. Want to know how? Let’s dive right in!

Challenge

Building a charming dog-friendly cafe in times of pandemic

A dog-friendly cafe that delivers some of the very best craft coffee in Dublin and magazine-worthy breakfast sambos? Count us in!

In 2021, food lovers Shaun and Carrie completely transformed an old dental clinic into a cosy cafe nestled in the lively Dublin neighbourhood of Harold’s Cross.

They got their licenses and permits, rolled up their sleeves and hit the ground running. Armed with a crowbar and a saw, they took apart the entire unit themselves to build their dream hospitality business.

There were many long, soot-covered days of hard work in that summer of 2021, defying the odds of a global pandemic. Not for the faint of heart, right?

And the effort paid off.

The neighbourhood enthusiastically embraced the new, dog-friendly coffee concept.

Since then, they have delighted their customers with their delicious Irish breakfasts, artisan products, mouth-watering pastries, and delectable coffee in a friendly and cosy environment. (Bonus: free treats for the furry companions!)

Yet, despite the success, Shaun and Carrie were facing a frustrating problem backstage.

Shaun and Carrie were kept in the dark about their business’s financial health

It’s essential for businesses in the hospitality sector to stay on top of their numbers with accurate and up-to-date financial records.

However, like many other hospitality business owners, Shaun and Carrie were not getting the answers they needed from their accounting firm. A big problem.

They had worked with the same accountant since the very beginning and had grown more and more frustrated with how unresponsive he was.

He used Quickbooks online accounting software to manage their accounts, but they were struggling to get updates from him and keep track of their finances. They were essentially kept in the dark about their numbers, which made proper business planning impossible.

So, they did what every owner would do, they tried to do the bookkeeping themselves. A significant undertaking for new restaurant owners. Expense tracking, sales recording, invoice processing, bank reconciliation, payroll management, tax and compliance…

Not a walk in the park. The manual tasks took up a lot of time. Especially when they had a business to run and customers to care for.

Gaining a clear picture of their finances remained a challenge.

To top it off, they were also considering becoming a limited company. Once again, they felt unsupported by their accounting professional.

Shaun and Carrie needed a reliable solution that could help them manage their financial operations and give them a clearer picture of their numbers. They needed accounting automation for hospitality.

Solution

With Outmin, financial clarity was on the way

To help them solve this frustration, they decided to try Outmin, a smart accounting solution that uses data science, machine learning, and Large Language Models to automate accounting tasks.

First, we sat down with Shaun and Carrie at the cafe to understand their needs and goals. They explained their situation and we detailed how Outmin could be the best solution to solve their problems. Help was on the way!

Outmin’s disruptive accounting automation software was exactly what they needed.

No more manual accounting systems. The process was seamless.

We went through their old paperwork and transactions to sort everything out.
We connected their bank accounts to our system to retrieve their day-to-day transactions automatically. Accounts payable and accounts receivable were fully streamlined.
We got in touch with all of Parklife’s suppliers to let them know about the transition. Now, they send invoices directly to Outmin.
We helped them smoothly transition to a limited company.

“Outmin has us working with our accounts in real-time, unlike our old accountant’s method of backdating. This made it difficult to understand where we stood financially, and if there was an issue, it was nearly impossible to resolve as it was months ago!
Now, whenever an invoice is missing or a payment is queried, it is highlighted by Outmin that day, making it much easier to track down. Outmin has let us run a cafe while they look after the paperwork.”

With Outmin’s financial management, they have a full accounting team that takes care of their accounts and Year-end reporting, automates tedious tasks like bookkeeping, manages payroll, prepares Profit and Loss financial statements, and seamlessly connects with hospitality tech systems like Point-of-Sale and HR management.

They now also have timely reporting that gives them a clear picture of their finances, from cash flow statements to profit and loss. No more guessing!

Plus, they have access to our mobile app, where they can upload invoices and receipts with a click of a button.

Easy, smooth, fast accounting for hospitality. Perfect for busy business owners.

Result

Peace of mind and full financial visibility for Parklike Cafe (+ time & money saved!)

Shaun and Carrie found great relief with Outmin’s AI-powered accounting platform.

They have more time to focus on growing their business.
They save money on a more efficient accountancy solution.
They have clear insights and financial visibility that help them prepare for the future and make better decisions.

Parklife Cafe is a testament to Carrie and Shaun’s determination and resilience during trying times. They deserved a solution that not only streamlined their financial concerns but also brought a friendly and efficient touch to their cafe operations.

With Outmin, Parklife Cafe can keep on thriving, delivering top-quality coffee and food and providing a beloved space for the community and their furry companions.

“Myself and Shaun wish we had been with Outmin from the start. Every single member of Outmin we have dealt with has been fantastic. They have been quick to reply, clear with any requests of information and have talked our language!
Honestly, we can’t put into words the relief we have felt in the past few months knowing our accounts are being looked after by yourselves. You have delivered all the promises made from that meeting we had in the cafe. Again, thank you!”

As financial digitalisation is poised to become the future, embracing cutting-edge solutions like Outmin’s automated accounting is a strategic move that can put you ahead of the curve.

Curious to explore our automated accounting solutions for hospitality?

Book a Demo

What our
Clients are
Saying

Outmin has helped us dramatically reduce costs and we now get simple weekly and monthly financial reports. They’ve solved one of our biggest business problems while saving us money.

John Savage

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