Why Weekly Metrics Matter
Restaurant life is fast, but that doesn’t mean the back office can wait. Small anomalies compound into real problems. A short weekly review of five key POS reports is the difference between proactive management and reactive firefighting.
1) Refunds and Voids (Trend Over Time)
Look at total counts and totals compared to sales volume.
Red flags:
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One employee far above average
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Sudden jumps week over week
2) Discount and Comp Usage
Discount usage should align with your policies.
Check:
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Promo codes applied correctly
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Manager comps vs unauthorized discounts
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Custom discounts vs named buttons
Consistent use of reason codes makes this easy.
3) Sales vs Labor Cost Ratio
Labor percentage should move with sales volume, not against it.
If sales dip but labor stays flat, you’re burning margin.
4) Item Mix and Deviation Alerts
Some items have higher profit. Big swings in item mix may signal menu or service issues.
Compare top 10 items by sales this week to last week.
5) Open Checks and Delete Activity
Open/reopened checks and deleted items matter.
High delete activity often signifies rushed shifts or misuse.
Putting It Into Practice: 15-Minute Review Routine
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3 minutes: refunds & voids
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4 minutes: discounts & comps
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3 minutes: labor ratio
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3 minutes: item mix
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2 minutes: open checks & deleted items
Consistency outperforms depth.
