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How Some Restaurant Owners Boost Their Sales with Data

Claire Brunaud
Jun 5
2 min read

In a context of rising costs, shrinking margins, and fierce competition, every decision made in the restaurant business can have a direct impact on profitability.

To stay ahead, more and more restaurant owners are changing the way they work: they’re managing their business using data.

Less instinct, more visibility

Traditionally, running a restaurant relied heavily on instinct, hands-on experience… and occasionally, some complex Excel spreadsheets.

But that model has its limits: it doesn’t always help pinpoint the real reasons behind stagnant sales, a dish that’s not taking off, or a drop in profitability.

The professionals who are thriving today are those who’ve transitioned from gut-feel management to a data-driven approach.

Knowing what works (and what doesn’t)

Top-performing restaurant owners leave nothing to chance. They rely on concrete data to:

Track which dishes sell best (and which ones don’t)
Spot underpriced or low-margin items
Analyze how average spend per customer changes by day or service
Allocate staff more effectively based on peak hours
Restructure their menu based on each category’s performance

A simple price change or repositioning of a product can often be enough to recover several points of margin.

Optimizing prices to increase margins

Adjusting prices is one of the most powerful levers restaurant owners have.

But you need a clear picture: what’s the actual food cost for each dish?

Is the profit margin ratio consistent?

Can a price increase be made without losing sales?

Those who have access to this kind of insight can strategically rebalance their menu, without compromising the customer experience. Some even manage to improve their profitability by 10 to 20% in just a few weeks.

Benchmarking to improve performance

Another best practice: benchmarking.

Knowing how you compare to similar establishments (in terms of pricing, product conversion rates, or average basket size) allows you to identify areas for improvement, fine-tune your positioning, or run targeted tests.

For instance, if a restaurant owner finds out their dessert conversion rate is half the market average, it may prompt them to rethink their offering or how it’s presented—often with fast results.

Saving time and focusing on what matters

Data also saves valuable time. No more hours spent compiling scattered figures or digging through spreadsheets.

With the right tools, key performance indicators are available at a glance, allowing restaurant owners to refocus on what matters most: cooking, service, and customer relationships.