3 ways to improve restaurant data & performance

You can't improve what you don't measure. Find out how to help you improve your data reporting system to give you valuable insights into your restaurant's performance.
Michael Radley
 • 
Sep 2023
4 min read

So, if you want to improve your restaurant performance, you need to collect and analyse data, spot trends, and turn insights into action.

Below we share our top tips to help you improve your data reporting system. But first, let’s explore the benefits of restaurant data collection and analysis.

How restaurants can benefit from data reporting

Improve revenue

Effectively evaluating sales metrics can help you spot any issues that might be impacting your profitability. For example, you can use data from your inventory management system to reduce food waste and save money.

Build leaner operations

Data reports paint a detailed picture of a restaurant’s operations, from menu sales to staffing. You can use the insights to create a blueprint for operational efficiency.

Enhance customer experience

Gathering data on customers and reviewing feedback can help you to personalise and improve the customer experience.

It’s clear that restaurant data collection and analysis is key to running an efficient business. So, you might be wondering how you can improve your data reporting…keep reading to learn how.

3 ways to improve your restaurant reporting system

1. Use a restaurant analytics dashboard

You can track your restaurant data in an excel spreadsheet. However, trying to gain insights from raw numbers alone can be difficult and time-consuming.

We recommend using a restaurant analytics dashboard. Once you create a dashboard, you don’t have to continually input data—it does the hard work for you. So you can see an overview of your business performance in real-time and make data-driven business decisions.

Trail’s dashboards and reports help you monitor performance and uncover inefficiencies in real-time. Managers can see what’s happening on-site, resolving issues quickly with fewer site visits.


2. Automate data collection

Restaurants generate a huge amount of data from customers, staff, sales, inventory, and more.

We recommend choosing a restaurant software that integrates with your ePOS, rotas, and other systems. So you can aggregate all your data in one centralised location. This will help you generate insights a whole lot faster.

Trail integrates with over 1500 systems. Plug Trail into your software and transform time-consuming, manual processes into seamless workflows, no coding required.

3. Turn insights into action

Data and insights are often siloed within departments and aren’t shared with the right person at the right time.

Usually, someone in head office analyses performance, but by the time those insights reach the manager on site who has the power to turn it into action, the insights are out of date and are largely ignored.

Using restaurant analytics software, like Trail, can help you automatically turn data insights into tasks. Live tasks mean head office can communicate changes to teams on the ground instantly. Tams know what to do, managers can see it’s been done. Everyone’s happy.


“Trail bridges the gap between teams and head office, making sure everyone knows what they need to do. We can cascade information down through our business quickly and roll out changes in procedure seamlessly.” Elton Gray, Creams Cafe, Operations Director


Trail can help you collect data, turn insights into action and improve your restaurant performance. Here’s how:

Improve remote visibility: Daily reports highlight issues as they happen. Managers can see what’s happening in their sites, wherever they are, resolving issues quickly with less site visits.

Central operational hub: Trail integrates with over 1500 systems, so you can collect and store data on customers, operations, staffing, and more, all in one place.

Streamline communication: As your business grows, communication between teams and management can break down. Trail bridges that gap.


What customers are saying

"I f****** love Trail, it's taking my businesses to the next level."
Josh Paterson
Owner
"We rarely provide training to our guys, they just bought into the idea straight away. I love that I have a full visual of everyone's activity in front of me."
Katrin Toots
Compliance Manager
“It’s not a paper diary that’s covered in barbecue sauce. We have clarity over what’s done in our sites and are confident going into our audits.”
Jay Brown
Operations
“The EHO visited almost every site last year and every store was given a five star rating."
Jay Brown
Operations Chef
"We turned our Costa Checks and various compliance forms into regular tasks on Trail, which has contributed to some of the best scores we have had."
Delroy Daniels
Operations Director
"Our teams love it, it gives our managers of all levels absolute clarity on what they need to achieve every day."
James Brown
Operations Director

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