David Keith
Product Manager, Accounting
Restaurant365
David Keith is Product Manager, Accounting at Restaurant365. After graduating from Washington State University with a Hospitality Business Management degree, Dave worked as a restaurant manager for nine years with the Old Spaghetti Factory, Doubletree Hotels, and Kimpton Hotels. He next transitioned to accounting, with roles at Schwartz Brothers Restaurants in Seattle and then a seafood company serving the restaurant industry. Software development was next, with over 15 years in the development and implementation of accounting/ERP systems. Joining Restaurant 365 in 2021 was the dream opportunity to apply years of experience and passion for the restaurant industry.
Pinar Alptunaer
Partner Marketing Manager at Restaurant365Pinar Alptunaer is Partner Marketing Manager at Restaurant365, managing relationships with accounting channel and strategic partners. Pinar also manages sponsorships for R365 events like the Restaurant Transformation Tour. With over 20 years of experience working in the hospitality industry, she continues to keep her finger on the pulse by working The Masters Golf Tournament for the past 11 years. A New Orleans native, Pinar grew up between the United States and Istanbul, engraining her love of all things food and hospitality.
How does Restaurant365 work with its channel accounting partners to ensure that their clients’ accounting needs are being met?
We have a customer success team dedicated to our accounting partners that works full-time to know and understand the partners’ needs for their clients, through personal meetings, monitoring support requests, and responding to requests. This team is then able to advocate for the partners with product development and support to ensure we are building the right functionality.
What are some common challenges that R365’s channel accounting partners face when working with restaurant clients, and how do you support them in overcoming these challenges?
The accounting partners provide an outsourced function for the restaurant operators yet need to be part of the restaurant management “team” to provide the most value to the client. This creates a potential communication challenge in that it can be difficult for the accountant to know what is occurring in the restaurant on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, and to provide the information the operators need. R365 has been built with multiple features to assist in communication and in the financial decision-making processes. Examples include approvals that are routed through customizable workflows, for AP invoices to approve expenses and for payment approvals to control cash flow. The owner/operator is given a clear and concise view of what they are approving while the accounting partner is provided with confirmation to proceed or feedback on changes that are needed.
Can you discuss any upcoming plans or initiatives that Restaurant365 has in place to further support its channel accounting partners and ensure their ongoing success?
An initiative that is currently underway is designed to help accounting partners improve their clients’ processes by giving an even better view into the clients’ status. For example, is the client up to date with their approvals? Are they approving journal entries on a timely basis?
We are also rolling out notifications in the system to enhance communication – let the partner or the operator know when an action needs to be completed.
Can you tell us about your background in the restaurant or accounting industry and how that has influenced your work as a Product Manager for R365?
After graduating from Washington State University with a degree in Hospitality Business Management I managed full-service restaurants for nine years in a variety of forms: freestanding, as part of hotels, and at a golf resort. I next worked in accounting in a restaurant and then at a seafood wholesaler, then migrated to accounting software development for many years. The Product Manager role is a perfect combination of my experience, allowing my passion for the restaurant industry and empathy for its operators to be applied to my accounting knowledge, all within a framework of years of working with software developers to create great products!
At R365 we say that we LOVE GOOD FOOD, but for me the joy is in providing GREAT SERVICE – whether in a restaurant setting, keeping books balanced, or when someone is at a computer getting work done with ease!
If you could add one “Easter Egg” to Restaurant365’s accounting software, what would it be and how would users access it?
A restaurant-themed ‘Joke of the Day’, hidden at the bottom of the Financial Dashboard. I think it’s important to maintain a good sense of humor, especially in the high-pressure, high-stress world of managing restaurants. I chose the location to encourage daily viewing of the key metrics shown on the Financial Dashboard!
