Most restaurants run on one computer at the billing counter. It holds the billing software, often the accounts, scanned supplier bills and the recipe costing sheet. Nobody thinks about it until the morning it does not switch on.
This is a plain list of what to keep copies of, where each item usually lives, and how often to copy it.
Why one billing PC is a risk
Some of the ways restaurants lose that data:
- Hard disk failure. Disks wear out, often without warning.
- Power surges. Voltage fluctuations and sudden cuts can damage the disk or corrupt files.
- Ransomware. One wrong click on an attachment or pirated download can lock every file.
- Theft. A break-in usually takes the cash and the computer together.
- A staff member formats the PC. Usually while trying to “fix” a slow computer.
- Water and fire. A leaking pipe, a mopping accident or a small kitchen fire can finish a machine.
What to back up
Accounting ledgers
If you use Tally or similar accounting software, the company data folder is the single most important thing on the computer. Losing it means rebuilding the books from paper, if the paper still exists.
Billing and POS data
Your billing software keeps its own database of orders, items and tax settings, and can usually produce daily exports (sales, item-wise and tax reports). Keep both. Exports stay useful even if you change software later.
GST invoices and returns
Keep copies of sales invoices, purchase invoices, the returns you filed and their acknowledgements. Under the CGST Act, accounts and records generally have to be kept for 72 months (six years) from the due date of the annual return for the year they relate to, and longer if there is an appeal or proceeding pending. Your CA can confirm what applies to you, but the safe habit is simple: never delete GST records, and keep them in more than one place.
Purchase bills from suppliers
Vegetable, meat, dairy, gas and grocery bills support your input tax credit and your costing. Scan or photograph paper ones into one dated folder.
Aggregator payout statements
Zomato and Swiggy settlement reports show orders, commissions, deductions and what was paid. Download them from the partner dashboards; you will need them if a payout is ever disputed.
Licences and inspection documents
Your FSSAI licence or registration, renewal receipts, and any inspection reports or notices., plus trade licence and fire NOC.
Staff records
Attendance registers or exports, payroll sheets, salary slips, and staff contracts or appointment letters.
Recipe costing sheets and menus
Plate-cost spreadsheets and menu design files. Easy to forget, slow to rebuild.
Rent agreement and other contracts
The lease, deposit receipt, and supplier or equipment agreements.
Where it lives and how often to copy it
| Item | Where it usually lives | How often to back up |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting ledgers (e.g. Tally data) | Data folder on the billing or office PC | Daily |
| Billing / POS data | Billing software’s data folder | Daily |
| Daily sales and tax exports | Exports folder on the billing PC | Daily |
| GST invoices and returns | Billing PC, GST portal downloads, CA’s email | Monthly, after filing |
| Supplier purchase bills | Paper, phone photos, email | Weekly |
| Zomato / Swiggy settlement reports | Partner dashboards, downloads folder | Weekly or per payout |
| FSSAI licence and inspection documents | Paper file, email | When anything changes |
| Attendance, payroll, contracts | Excel sheets, attendance device exports, paper | Monthly |
| Recipe costing and menus | Excel files, designer’s email | When they change |
| Rent agreement | Paper, scanned PDF | Once, and on renewal |
Anything that changes daily should be copied daily.
A practical checklist
- Make one folder on the PC, for example “Restaurant Records”, with sub-folders for accounts exports, GST, supplier bills, aggregator reports, licences, staff and contracts.
- Find where your accounting and billing software keep their data, and write the location down on paper.
- Scan or photograph paper bills and licences into the right sub-folders every week.
- Download aggregator settlement reports every week and save them in the same place.
- Set up an automatic nightly copy of the data folders and the records folder to somewhere outside the building.
- Keep at least three copies in total, with one far away. Our 3-2-1 page explains why.
- Once a month, open a few files from the backup to make sure they actually work.
- Make sure the owner, not only the staff, knows where the backups are and how to get them.
Closing note
triplicate is a backup service being built for Indian small businesses, with restaurants in mind. The billing PC holds copy 1; copies 2 and 3 go to two different storage providers you choose, one of them on another continent. Plans are prepaid with a ₹200 monthly minimum and no auto-debit. We are in early access; see how it works for restaurants or get in touch.
Keep reading
Backing up Tally and the billing PC: a guide for restaurant owners
Where Tally keeps your company data, why a pen drive is not enough, a five-minute daily routine for the manager, and what to do the day the billing PC dies.
Test your restores: an untested backup is a hope
Backups fail quietly. A practical routine for testing restores at home and at work, what to check, how often, and what to write down.
Backup vs sync: why Google Drive, iCloud and OneDrive are not backups
Sync keeps files identical everywhere, including your mistakes. Backup keeps older copies you can return to. The difference matters when things go wrong.