How do you set the right starting cash bank for a drawer each shift?

The bank sets up the shift

A starting bank is the cash a drawer opens with to make change, and getting it wrong slows every transaction. Too little and you run short on small bills.

A well-set bank keeps the line moving because the cashier always has the change they need.

Match the mix to your sales

The right bank is not just a total, it is the right mix of denominations for how your guests pay. A cash-heavy business needs plenty of small bills and coin.

Setting the mix to match your typical transactions prevents the mid-rush scramble for ones and fives.

Keep the bank consistent

Opening with the same bank each shift makes reconciliation cleaner, because the expected starting point never moves. A varying bank complicates the close.

A consistent bank means the over or short reflects the shift, not a different starting amount.

Separate the bank from sales

At close, the starting bank comes back out before you count the day's take, so you measure sales, not the float. Mixing them distorts the number.

Keeping the bank distinct from sales is what makes the reconciliation honest and repeatable.