The only trade whose day ends at 2:30 in the morning.
A bar closes when most software thinks the week is over, and counts things that do not divide neatly. Helm Shift ships with a close that runs past midnight, spirits counted by the part-bottle, and kegs that know whether they are fifty litres or thirty.
Half a bottle is a real number.
Most inventory tools want whole units. A bar does not work that way: the well vodka is two-thirds gone, the guest IPA keg is somewhere under half, and writing “1” for either one makes the count worthless. Then the shift dropdown offers you Lunch and Dinner and stops at eleven, an hour or three before your actual close.
So the count gets done on paper, and the paper gets lost.
Set up as a bar.
A close that runs past midnight
Opening starts at eleven in the morning and Close runs to 2:30am. The week boundary is handled properly, so a Saturday that ends on Sunday still belongs to Saturday.
Categories a bar actually has
Spirits, Draught, Bottled beer, Wine, Mixers and Garnish — with 27 starter items already in place, from well spirits to lime and mint, so the first count is editing rather than typing.
Part-bottles and real keg sizes
Count a bottle as a fraction, because that is what is in front of you. Kegs carry their real size, 50L for the house lager and 30L for a guest tap, so the numbers mean something.
Cover, count, and the cost of a late week.
Run it against one real weekend.
Helm Shift was built in Halifax and is open to independent bars and pubs across Nova Scotia and Ontario. The 30 days are free and there is no card, so schedule a genuine Friday and Saturday in it and count the back bar on Sunday. One weekend is the honest test.
Try it on next weekend.
Plans start at $49 CAD a month. Works alongside whatever POS you already use.