Make your data tell the story.
Practical guides on dashboards and analytics — written for schools, nonprofits, and small businesses.
The Labor-to-Sales Ratio Killing Your Margins
A healthy restaurant labor-to-sales ratio sits between 25% and 35% of revenue, but the number alone hides the real problem. Here is how multi-unit operators benchmark, track, and act on labor cost before it eats their margin.
Food Truck Sales by Location and Day
Most food trucks chase busy-looking spots while their real money sits in a quiet Tuesday lot. A sales-by-location-and-day dashboard tells you which stops to keep, drop, or double down on, using the POS data you already collect.
Track Food Cost Percentage Without a Costly POS
You don't need an expensive POS to track food cost percentage. A disciplined spreadsheet plus a simple dashboard gives you the same number, weekly, for a fraction of the price.
The Reservation Data Most Restaurants Ignore
Most independent restaurants track covers and revenue but ignore the reservation and no-show signals that predict empty tables. Here is the data that actually moves your bottom line, and a simple framework for tracking it.
Restaurant Labor Cost: Track It by Shift
Monthly labor reports arrive weeks after the overruns happen. A four-column shift log and three weekly signals give restaurant operators time to act.
Restaurant Prime Cost: Track It Weekly
Most restaurant operators calculate prime cost monthly, but by then the problem is three weeks old: a weekly ledger turns one lagging number into four actionable signals.
Track Restaurant Food Waste by Station
Aggregate food cost percentage hides where the problem is. A four-station waste ledger turns one lagging number into four fixable problems.
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