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New Write-ups that write themselves, incident reports you can just say out loud, and more — see what’s new

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Write-ups & PIPs Incident logs Attendance points Licenses & compliance AI Shift reports & time off Repair & maintenance Employee records

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Restaurants & bars

From pre-shift to last call, on the record.

Write-ups, guest incidents, alcohol-server and food handler cards, closing checklists and walk-in repairs — handled the same way by every manager, every night.

Talk to us See how it works
  • Alcohol server (RBS) cards
  • Food handler cards
  • Closing checklists
  • Guest incidents

Behind the bar at

  • Elbow Room

Sound familiar?

Long nights. High turnover. Paperwork that never catches up.

Here’s what that looks like at 1 a.m. — and how each one gets handled.

  • Bar · 4:10 PM

    A bartender’s alcohol-server card lapsed. Nobody noticed.

    You find out when an inspector, or your insurance company, asks to see it.

    Every RBS and food handler card tracked per person, with a heads-up before it lapses.

  • Close · 1:40 AM

    A guest incident at close, written up in a group text.

    By the time it matters, the texts are gone and so is the server who saw it.

    Logged from a phone before close: who was involved, who saw it, photos.

  • Every manager

    Three managers, three ways of handling a no-show.

    One lets it slide, one writes it up, one sends them home. Your staff notices.

    One set of point rules and one discipline ladder, for every manager.

  • Walk-in · 6:15 PM

    The walk-in is warm again. Did anyone call the repair company?

    Nobody knows who called, when they’re coming or what the last fix cost.

    Scan the sticker and report it in seconds. The vendor and the cost live on the ticket.

Certifications and house rules

Built to support every card behind the bar.

Set each certification up once: who needs it, how long a new hire has and how often it renews. New hires get it assigned automatically, and you get a heads-up before anything lapses.

Track any of these — or your own

  • Alcohol server (RBS)
  • Food handler card
  • Food protection manager
  • Harassment prevention
  • Allergen awareness
  • CPR & First Aid
  • Fire extinguisher training
  • RBS · 60 days

    Alcohol server certification

    California’s RBS training for servers, bartenders and the managers who watch them — each person’s renewal date on file.

  • Food handler · 30 days

    Food handler cards

    Everyone who handles food, with the card on file and the renewal on the calendar.

  • Manager certificate

    Food protection manager

    Know which managers hold the certificate, and when each one renews.

  • Every 2 years

    Harassment prevention training

    Supervisors and staff on a two-year cycle, with completion dates on file.

  • Labor Code §6401.9

    Workplace violence log

    AI flags guest and staff incidents that may meet the definition. Your team decides.

  • Your rules

    House policies

    Cash handling, comps, phones on the floor — signed on screen by every new hire, before their first shift.

HR PaperTrail is software, not legal advice. Rules differ by city, county and state — confirm the details with your counsel or regulator.

Every shift

What your managers use every night.

01 · Shift reports & time off

Opening and closing checklists that actually get done.

Build a checklist for each station and shift — temps logged, drawers counted, doors locked. Every box is ticked by name and time, and the report lands in your inbox when the shift closes.

  • Opening, mid and closing lists for kitchen and bar
  • That night’s incidents and repairs, attached
  • Time-off requests approved in the same place
More on Shift reports & time off
02 · Write-ups & PIPs

Write-ups every manager does the same way.

Pick the reason and the step from your own discipline ladder. The employee adds a comment and signs on screen, then the manager, then the owner or HR. Done before the next shift starts.

  • Signed on any phone or tablet
  • Write-ups in English or Spanish
  • The whole history, one tap away
More on Write-ups & PIPs
03 · Incident logs

Guest incidents, logged before close.

Failed ID checks, guests who had too much, slips, burns and fights — with who was involved, who saw it and photos. AI flags anything that may count as workplace violence, and your team decides.

  • Log it from a phone, behind the bar
  • Private incidents for sensitive cases
  • Suggested points when a house rule was broken
More on Incident logs
04 · Repair & maintenance

The walk-in, the fryer, the ice machine.

Put a QR sticker on every piece of equipment. Anyone can scan it with their phone, snap a photo and report the problem — AI suggests the details. You see the repair company, where things stand and what that cooler has cost you this year.

  • Safety hazards alert managers right away
  • Reminders until it’s fixed
  • Repair costs by month and by machine
More on Repair & maintenance
05 · Attendance points

No-shows handled the same way, every time.

Late arrivals, no call/no shows and leaving early each carry your point values. A point comes off for every clean month, automatically — so good habits get rewarded without anyone keeping a spreadsheet.

  • Your rules, your point values
  • A 30-day trend on every employee
  • Suggested adjustments a manager approves
More on Attendance points
06 · Employee records

Onboarding that keeps up with turnover.

New hires sign your handbook and house policies on their own phone before their first shift. Their food handler and RBS deadlines are set the moment they’re hired.

  • Every signed document in their file
  • See who hasn’t signed yet
  • The whole file prints in one click
More on Employee records

A night in the house

From pre-shift to close-out.

One night in the kitchen and bar of our demo restaurant. The people are fictional. The product is real.

  1. Opening

    Pre-shift, by the checklist.

    Kevin Marsh logs the walk-in and hot-holding temps from his phone. Sanitizer buckets are set. The 86 list is posted before the team huddle.

  2. Opening

    Rosa’s RBS card is coming due.

    It’s already on the dashboard, 40 days out. You hear about it weeks early, not when someone asks to see it.

  3. Dinner

    The walk-in starts climbing.

    Kevin scans the sticker on the walk-in, snaps a photo of the thermometer and reports it. The repair company is on site by eight.

  4. Bar close

    A guest who was cut off throws a glass.

    Rosa logs it from behind the bar: who was involved, who saw it, a photo of the damage. AI flags it as something that may count as workplace violence. Sam decides what happens next.

  5. Close-out

    Close-out, handed off.

    Sam files the closing report: drawers balanced, taps cleaned, doors locked, plus the incident and the open walk-in ticket. It’s in the owner’s inbox before the lights are off.

  6. Next morning

    Kevin’s third late arrival. Same rules as always.

    His points have added up under your rules, so Sam presents a verbal warning on screen. Kevin signs, then Sam, then Danielle. Any manager on duty would do it the same way.

Who uses it

Everyone in the house sees what they need.

You decide who can see and do what. Managers see their own departments; HR and owners see everything.

  • Owner or GM

    e.g. Sam Ortiz

    Every incident, write-up, expiring card and open repair in one place — and a short summary of the week every Monday morning.

  • Shift managers

    e.g. Elena Ruiz

    Run the checklists, log incidents and present write-ups from a phone. They see their own team and nothing more.

  • Office or HR

    e.g. Danielle Okafor

    Every certification, signature and incident in one file per employee. The whole file prints in one click.

  • Your staff

    e.g. Rosa Delgado

    Sign write-ups and new-hire paperwork on their own phone, and request time off without chasing anyone.

Questions

Good questions, straight answers.

Something else on your mind? Talk to us — a real person answers.

We’re one restaurant with 35 people. Is this overkill?
No. HR PaperTrail is built for teams without an HR department — the manager on duty does the documenting. We set it up for you, so nobody is figuring out software on a Saturday night.
Can it track RBS and food handler cards?
Yes. Add each certification once, set how long new hires have and how often it renews, and HR PaperTrail assigns it automatically. You and the employee get a heads-up before it lapses.
Does it do scheduling or payroll?
No. Keep the scheduling and payroll tools you already use. HR PaperTrail keeps the record of what happens on each shift: write-ups, incidents, checklists, certifications and repairs.
Can managers do all of this from a phone?
Yes. Incidents, checklists, write-ups and repair tickets all work on a phone, and employees can sign on their own.
We have two locations. Does that work?
Yes. Each location can be its own department, so managers see their own team and you see everything. A separate business can also have its own account.
How fast can we start?
Usually within days. Send us your roster — a spreadsheet is fine — and we load your positions, certifications and checklists for you.

Get started

Put last call on the record.

Tell us about your restaurant or bar. We’ll reach out within one business day, load your certifications and checklists, and import your roster for you.

White-glove setup. We import your roster for you.

More industries

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HR PaperTrail is software, not legal advice. Requirements on this page are general; confirm the specifics with your counsel or regulator. The people and businesses in the examples are fictional.