How Restaurants Use Data and Analytics to Boost Business Profit

As automation realigns the restaurant industry’s functional and operational picture, of the restaurant sector, significant independents and franchises both are clinging to data in the expectation that this will help them succeed in this new business landscape. There will be only one concern: many stakeholders understand how to get valuable information from it.

For example, a contemporary POS system would provide business owners with analytics such as the number of times an additional ingredient was ordered. However, when all you are doing after reviewing this data is raising or decreasing your supply of that component, you might be losing a significant amount of money.

Restaurant data is becoming increasingly relevant for restauranteurs as new technologies such as POS integration and more software businesses in the field make APIs available. It would be good if you can somehow find some company that will scrape the restaurant menu depending on requirements. You can also find the reason behind why the given day of the week drew fewer customers? This is possible by using restaurant data analytics correctly.

Defining Restaurant Data Analytics

Restaurant data analytics is the method of evaluating any data point linked to your business and transforming it into valuable insights that may enhance everything from menus and employee strain to restaurant regulations and marketing initiatives.

Unlike restaurant reports, which include comparing sales and profitability across certain periods by looking at a gathered set of fundamental indicators, restaurant statistics help to take a deeper look into the statistics to properly appreciate why your business is doing in a certain manner.

So, if you want to understand why one of your employees is outperforming others, or even why you get even more requests for seafood items on Tuesdays, let your extracted restaurant data guide you.

Huge Information and Restaurants

Big data is a term for the vast amounts of data that are continually created by the digital solutions that a restaurant employs. Many people start with what a consumer puts in an order and buys for their dish.

Bigger eateries might have 8 or even more technology providers on their payroll, emphasizing the need of investing in a dependable analytics system. Restaurants of this magnitude, think McDonald’s, could be turning to large solutions to comprehend and exploit the massive quantity of data they collect.

Independently owned and operated restaurants, on the other hand, should not be concerned about big data because they are unlikely to have several software providers on board. In a nutshell, they almost certainly do not create enough data.

They should focus on discovering the value in the information their POS is now producing. Having said that, restaurants of all kinds are collecting more information than before, making data analytics an intriguing area to investigate.

How Can Restaurants Scrape Guest Data?

As previously said, restaurants generate massive amounts of data which, when used appropriately, may be a great resource for a restaurant’s success. The question then becomes, what technologies can restaurants employ to scrape restaurant data and correctly arrange fetched information so that it could be examined or used for decision making?

The rise of digitization has resulted in an invasion of solutions that assist eateries with this work. Developed online tools such as reservation system, will assist restaurants in scraping guest data such as personal profile, priorities, allergies, and many other restaurant performance analytics and client breakdowns that deliver a comprehensive and holistic picture of the restaurant’s actual performance and facilitate informed decision making.

POS systems are another excellent source of information for eateries. Keep track of average ticket size per client, top famous meals, and more using POS data to make smarter menu and pricing decisions. A few management systems additionally provide cross-integration with our POS, providing you with access to advanced data in one location.

Aside from POS connectivity, certain sophisticated reservation systems will feature an automation system that initiates automatic actions to execute on auto-pilot depending on a customized list of requirements, such as auto-tagging clients depending on the number of visitors, quantity of purchasing, and so on. Restaurant automation provides restaurants with a rich source of data collecting options that were previously unavailable, as well as access to a fuller, more reliable visitor database and meaningful information about restaurant performance that would otherwise be missed.

How Will Data Analytics Enhance Revenue?

Although restaurant data analytics are not a magic wand that can instantly increase your sales, they may provide you with rich and actionable insights that will allow you to make key business decisions.

Evaluating sales measures such as revenue per server, for example, might assist you in identifying staff concerns that may be harming your restaurant’s profit. If a server earns the very same amount of money every week and only particular hours bring a revenue fall, data analytics will be able to inform you where the losses occur and where you can benefit from more staff.

Similarly, CRM data analysis is used to determine how particular products perform successfully, how much quantity the individual ordered, and other data. This may be utilized to enhance your menus by determining which meals are now being ordered in what quantities and introducing more of those dishes to the menu.

You may also check which menu items from appetizer and main course to side dishes and drinks – are the most common, which can help you select which products to promote in your restaurant marketing campaign.

These are just a few of the advantages of restaurant data analytics.

Analytics solutions are being used by really competitive restaurants for a range of use cases, including:

• Monitoring of customers
• Enhancement of Operations
• Optimization of table turnover
• Forecasting revenue
• Trends in lifetime value and repeat customers

With restaurant earnings as small as they are, any information on how you can raise the company’s overall income should be thoroughly explored.

How Do Restaurant Analytics Affect Labor Costs?

Labor is a significant expenditure in running a restaurant, therefore it’s critical to keep track of your labor costs in relation to overall sales. The correct analytics solution will assist in identifying slower schedules, which helps keep expenses down because fewer personnel are required during that time.

Insights can also help you schedule more quickly and intelligently depending on which days are busiest, when revenues are highest, or how much your average labor expenditure should be.

Furthermore, restaurant analytics may be employed to optimize labor expenditures during certain seasons. For example, the owner or manager may utilize historical data for the holiday season to maximize the workforce by arranging the correct balance of temporary, and part-time employees on a variety of schedules. This will allow you to keep your labor expenditures under control and your restaurant working at full capacity during the year.

How Will Data Analytics Affect Menu Data Decisions?

You may also utilize restaurant data analytics to evaluate which products to stay on the menu, which dishes to reintroduce, and which meals to consider for offers and discounts. For example, if a single item has a large number of orders but receives no re-orders, you might look into it more.

The Impact of Analytics on the Guest Experience

Whenever it relates to the user experience, data analytics may provide important information about restaurant patrons. Order choices, reservation patterns, and demographics may all be used to customize the eating experience. For example, you may provide a complimentary dessert to visitors on their wedding or birthday, or consider cuisine interests when sending out a customized offer to guests.

Furthermore, analytics allow you to spot patterns and classify clients into groups. Listening to and creating connections with your visitors will help your strategy for the future by using historical information from your restaurant CRM to demonstrate recent and historical patterns and construct customer profiles.

Other relevant data pieces that might assist improve the visitor experience include comments and rating analytics. Monitoring cumulative review data on a regular basis and making modifications as needed will assist to make sure the customer assistance is always up to standard.

How Are Empty Tables Filled by Data Analytics?

Every vacant table equals lost earnings for a restaurant. Through several crucial data points, analytics may assist restaurants in understanding and overcoming the “empty tables” problem.

For example, a restaurant can examine its no-show rates and, if the figures are very excessive, address the problem by instituting a reservation deposit. A deeper look into the information may also assist restaurants in identifying their off-peak hours and running special deals and discounts to fill the tables.

Customer Loyalty and Restaurant Analytics

Today’s modern restaurant loyalty systems are capable of delivering a wealth of client data. You may look for the visitors using only their last names and fetch all the information you require. Hence, you will avoid having to clarify their order choices and whether they want to eat on the balcony or inside.

You may also use the data to figure out the best approach to thank your loyal consumers. For example, if a specific set of clients checks in and tags your business on social media every time they appear for dinner, it might make sense to reward them via social media.

One strategy may be to send them a digital invitation to come and taste a new meal at your restaurant, emphasizing that it’s a tiny reward for their commitment to your company. Consider utilizing Facebook or Instagram for this reason, when you may be able to attract new consumers if they talk about obtaining the incentive within their social network.

Advanced CRM systems may also be utilized to re-emphasize your rising customers and keep them satisfied by creating customized segments and delivering them unique offers and discounts as a thank you for their commitment.

The Importance of Predictive Analytics in Restaurants

Predictive analytics uses past data to forecast future patterns and results. While this is a useful method for any organization, when implemented for restaurants, it may play a critical part in increasing income.

Predictive analytics may be used by restaurant operators to:

Enhance consistency: To improve order accuracy, modern predictive analytics systems may link directly to your restaurant ordering system. Most of them can estimate which food products will be ordered at certain times of the day. This also allows you to stock up on products to meet the demands of your consumers.

Estimate trends: Predictive analytics in restaurants may also be used to forecast future trends and income. You’ll be able to anticipate where your restaurant will be in the following several years by comparing historical data with present figures. As a result, you may design plans and take actions to assist your company in meeting its objectives.

Reduce food waste: A restaurant owner must understand what quantity of ingredients is required to produce a meal properly while creating the menu. You’ll be able to insert down into previous and present stock levels by applying predictive analytics. This allows you to prevent food waste by ordering only what you need and efficiently regulating your food costs.

Improved planning: Predictive analytics can assist restaurants in pre-planning forthcoming shifts by forecasting demand patterns and peak times. This aids in making better BOH and FOH choices and modifying the floor plan of the restaurant accordingly.

Real World Examples of Cafes that Prefers to Use Analytics and Boost Revenue

Various restaurants already possess their own data analytics solution and gain profit in sense of increasing efficiency and revenue.

Below mentioned are some examples:

Fig & Olive

Using data from its guest management software, New York-based Fig & Olive was able to follow its clients’ ordering patterns and build a targeted email campaign. The software had been configured to connect the restaurant’s bookings to its POS data, allowing it to monitor client return frequency and dining patterns.

All of the data was then employed to launch automated reply campaigns, some of which had a fantastic ROI. For example, the “we miss you” campaign, which provided complimentary crostini to customers who hadn’t even visited the restaurant in the previous 30 days, generated around 300 visits and $36,000 in revenue – a 7x return on the restaurant’s data analytics investment.

Tropical Smoothie Café

Tropical Food Café is dedicated to assisting people in living healthier lifestyles by preparing healthy meals with a tropical flair. They introduced a veggie smoothie to their fruit-only smoothie menu in 2013. Using restaurant analytics, they discovered that it quickly became one of their best sellers, prompting the production of other veggies smoother variations.

Furthermore, data analytics-enabled the chain to determine what times of day individuals were purchasing veggie smoothies the most. They might then use detailed analytics to create time-specific advertising, such as happy hours, to enhance client visitation during certain hours.

Final Thoughts

Data analytics is gaining traction as rich sources of data are dispersed throughout restaurant systems. To extract relevant information, aggressive, revenue-driven restaurants must invest in the correct technologies. Finally, restaurant data analytics would guide your company in the path of growth and success.

For more information on Restaurant Data Analytics, contact Foodspark today!!