Perhaps there are still a few restaurants out there keeping their pencils sharpened to track bookings, staff, and inventory. However, the restaurant industry at large is increasingly tech-savvy, and for good reason. It’s clear that implementing technology is an effective strategy for driving success in one of the world’s most competitive and significant industries. In this article, we will go through some of the most significant benefits of squeezing out all the insights from your restaurant data.
Restaurant data is an umbrella term that includes various types of information. In the following sections, we’ll dive into some of the ways your restaurant can benefit from data insights in everyday operations.
By diving into your restaurant’s statistics and analytics data, you can identify the most popular menu items among guests. Use these insights to tailor your menu, attract more loyal guests and boost revenue. Furthermore, data on peak times can help you pinpoint your staffing needs throughout the week, and even during specific times of the day. Opting for a restaurant booking system that seamlessly integrates with workforce management systems, such as WorkFeed and Tamigo, is a good idea if you want to streamline your staff planning. This kind of integration makes it easier to create schedules that are both beneficial for your team and efficient for your restaurant’s operations.
Inventory management is another area where restaurant data can bring you important insights. For example, your data might show that you often run out of fresh basil, a key ingredient in your popular pizza margarita. By pulling out trends like these from your inventory data, you can adjust your supply orders to ensure you have enough fresh basil on hand at the times when your pizza sells the best. This translates to less stress and happier guests.
Data can also help you reduce food waste by indicating that your blue cheese and pear salad doesn’t sell that well on Saturdays and Sundays. When you know this, you can safely order fewer pears and less blue cheese, and best of all, avoid ending up wasting food – a benefit for both your bottom line and the environment.
Using guest feedback to guide your restaurant’s evolution is essential for a flourishing business. For instance, if a significant portion of your reviewers believe your Spicy Halloumi Burger is too fiery, it’s an opportunity to modify the recipe to a less spicy version.
Some might argue that a burger can never be spicy enough, and perhaps this wasn’t the best example. Nevertheless, even if some guests find the burger too hot while others find it too tame, you’re now conscious that an adjustment could lead to greater guest satisfaction. Why not offer two versions of the burger? One that’s mildly spicy and one that’s blazing hot! Ultimately, what this boils down to is that guest feedback is a treasure trove of opportunities to increase guest happiness.
If your restaurant booking system enables you to examine guest feedback statistics over an extended period, seize the opportunity to do so. Reviewing satisfaction rates and reviews over time is one of the most effective ways to pinpoint why certain aspects weren’t at their best during a specific time period, such as in July when many of your regular staff were on holiday. Armed with this knowledge, you can better prepare the workflow for the temporary staff that will cover during the holiday season, thereby improving satisfaction rates for next July.
Implementing tracking on your restaurant’s website can enhance your understanding of what whets your guests’ appetites. Reviewing the most frequently visited pages will provide insights into what captures the attention of your existing and potential guests. Are they most drawn to your menu, your booking window, or your upcoming restaurant events?
Moreover, by evaluating the bounce rate on individual pages, you can determine if your site functions optimally or if there’s room for improvement to help users find what they’re searching for. For instance, if a significant number of mobile users exit shortly after accessing your menu, it might indicate that your menu page isn’t loading correctly on mobile devices. Detecting such issues can be challenging without comprehensive testing on various devices, but equipped with analytics, you can easily identify and correct issues that could otherwise lead to a loss of potential revenue.
Keep in mind that tracking laws vary from country to country. Be sure to check your local laws before adding tracking to your website.
Data” might sound like a dry and unappetizing term, seemingly out of place in the vibrant world of restaurants. But it’s far from it! Yes, restaurant data is packed with numbers and can be turned into graphs and charts, but at its core, it’s based on everything your restaurant is and does. Restaurant data represents every table booked, every guest who chose your eatery and picked a dish cooked in your kitchen. It embodies your staff’s dedicated work in making your guests feel welcome. It encompasses all the ingredients in your dishes, every moment spent planning, and all the hours worked. These numbers wouldn’t exist without all these elements, and that’s precisely why restaurant data can empower you to excel even further at what you do best!
