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Founded in 2012 in Temecula, California, Bushfire Kitchen is a family-owned fast-casual concept focused on fresh, high-quality food with global flavors. The menu spans bowls, burgers, sandwiches, and salads, with thoughtful options for gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan guests. Originally started by CEO Oliver Barwin’s father and cousin, the brand steadily gained traction across Southern California.Â
Oliver Barwin joined the business in early 2020, leaving a career in investment banking to return to California and step into the business just as the COVID-19 pandemic began reshaping the restaurant industry. At the time, Bushfire Kitchen had just opened its fourth location, and days later, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically reshaped the restaurant industry.Â
As off-premise demand surged and operating conditions changed overnight, Bushfire Kitchen needed to modernize quickly in order to survive and eventually scale.Â
When Barwin joined, Bushfire Kitchen was still operating with minimal infrastructure. The company relied heavily on tribal knowledge, paper-based processes, and a patchwork of legacy systems that were not designed for multi-unit growth. Square handled point-of-sale transactions, while QuickBooks Desktop was used for accounting, creating delays, manual work, and limited visibility into performance.Â
Invoice processing was slow and largely manual, with little detail beyond high-level totals. Reporting lagged weeks behind reality, making it difficult to understand where money was being spent or how individual locations were performing. For a growing, multi-unit brand, this lack of timely, granular data made proactive decision-making nearly impossible.Â
It was really decision-making without data. The business was very reactive versus proactive, and that was debilitating to growth.
Oliver Barwin, CEO
Brushfire Kitchen
Operational challenges became even more pronounced as sales shifted toward off-premise channels during the pandemic. Without systems that could support the change in sales mix, leadership struggled to adapt quickly. Vendor management, food cost controls, and labor analysis all required significant manual effort, while managers lacked real-time insight into their own performance.Â
As Bushfire Kitchen prepared to grow beyond a handful of locations, it became clear that the existing technology stack would not support the brand’s long-term ambitions.Â
Bushfire Kitchen began its transformation by rebuilding its technology foundation. The team first replaced Square with a more flexible POS system that supported integrations, then turned its attention to back-office operations. The goal was clear: implement a cloud-based, scalable platform that could centralize data, improve accuracy, and support multi-unit growth.Â
Restaurant365 emerged as the solution that addressed both operational and financial needs. Moving off QuickBooks Desktop eliminated paper-based workflows and unlocked real-time access to detailed data across locations. With Restaurant365, Bushfire Kitchen gained automated invoice processing, vendor-level visibility, and multi-unit reporting, all in one system.Â
Oliver Barwin, CEO
Brushfire Kitchen
By integrating Restaurant365 with key vendors, the team automated more than 80% of invoice processing within weeks. This dramatically reduced manual data entry and freed up the accounting team to focus on higher-value work. The move to a cloud-based platform also enabled Bushfire Kitchen to expand its accounting and payroll support offshore, reducing costs while maintaining consistency and control.Â
Restaurant365’s detailed purchasing and pricing data also gave the new leverage in vendor negotiations. Contract pricing alerts flagged discrepancies in real time, allowing the team to address issues immediately rather than months later. Item-level analysis made it possible to compare suppliers, track trends, and renegotiate contracts with confidence.Â
Oliver Barwin, CEO
Brushfire Kitchen
At the store level, Restaurant365 helped bring consistency and discipline to purchasing and performance management. Purchase order templates ensured that general managers ordered approved products at agreed-upon prices, reducing risk and cost variability. Daily accruals and real-time labor reporting gave managers immediate feedback, enabling faster adjustments and better control of their P&Ls.Â
The shift also changed how teams communicated. Instead of corporate teams interpreting results for managers, general managers now came into meetings already informed, focused on opportunities rather than explanations.Â
With Restaurant365 in place, Bushfire Kitchen gained clarity across its operations and financials, marking a clear shift toward more disciplined, data-driven decision-making across the organization. Leadership now had timely, accurate insight into food costs, labor trends, and vendor performance across all locations. The business moved from reactive problem-solving to proactive decision-making.Â
Automated invoice processing and offshore accounting support delivered significant cost savings, cutting back-office labor costs by approximately 50%. These efficiencies, paired with real-time access to labor, food cost, and vendor data, helped modernize Bushfire Kitchen’s entire operating model and support its transition into a true multi-unit organization. Vendor contract analysis and pricing alerts uncovered meaningful margin opportunities, including an estimated $100,000 in annual savings through renegotiated supplier agreements and tens of thousands more through caught pricing discrepancies.Â
Oliver Barwin, CEO
Brushfire Kitchen
General managers were empowered with real-time data and greater transparency, improving accountability and performance at the store level. With purchasing controls, labor visibility, and integrated reporting, teams could make better decisions daily rather than waiting for period-end reports.Â
Just as importantly, the scalable nature of Restaurant365 positioned Bushfire Kitchen for growth. The platform allowed new locations to be added quickly without rebuilding back-office processes, giving the team confidence to expand while maintaining consistency and control across the business. Bushfire Kitchen has continued to grow its footprint, expanding from eight locations to ten in 2025, with plans to reach 14 locations in the year ahead across Southern California.Â
For Bushfire Kitchen, Restaurant365 became a foundational platform that supported both stability and growth. What began as a response to operational strain during the pandemic evolved into a long-term strategy for scaling with confidence.Â
By centralizing data, automating manual processes, and empowering teams with real-time insight, Bushfire Kitchen built a more disciplined, transparent, and scalable organization. The visibility gained through Restaurant365 enabled leadership and general managers alike to operate with shared clarity, aligning daily decisions with long-term growth goals. With Restaurant365 handling the complexity of back-office operations, the brand can stay focused on what matters most: delivering great food, great experiences, and sustainable growth.Â
50% reduction
 in back-office labor costs
$100K+ in savings
annually via vendor contract analysis
Tens of thousands recovered
annually from pricing violations
Discover how you can start achieving savings like these for your business
Restaurant365 brings together accounting, operations, scheduling, and more in a flexible platform—empowering restaurants to choose the solutions they need and scale with confidence.
