Every week, restaurants unknowingly leave thousands of dollars on the table, not because of bad food or service, but because they’re tracking the wrong numbers. Or worse, not tracking at all.
In a market where labor costs change weekly, delivery commission fees chip away at margins, and inflation throws curveballs into your CoGS, tracking restaurant performance monthly is too slow. Weekly metrics give you the visibility to adjust before problems pile up. And the operators who do this? They don’t just stay afloat, they grow.
This isn’t about dashboards for the sake of dashboards. These are the seven metrics that move the needle. They’re clear, actionable, and easy to start tracking, especially if your POS system can pull reports automatically.
Whether you're running the back of the house or selling tech to people who do, these numbers matter.
1. Sales per Labor Hour
Why it matters: This shows how much revenue your team generates for every hour worked. It’s a direct measure of productivity and profitability.
How to calculate:
Total Revenue / Total Labor Hours
Target benchmark: ~$45/hour per FTE in quick-service settings.
Quick win: Compare weekday vs. weekend labor efficiency. You might be overstaffed on slower shifts without realizing it.
What to watch out for:
- Overlapping shifts that eat into profit during lulls
- Keeping new hires on too long without evaluating ROI
What great operators do:
Pair this with training milestones. As new staff onboard, track whether sales per labor hour rises on their shifts.
For POS Resellers:
Make this metric easy to access by role or location. It’s an instant sales differentiator, especially for multi-unit operators.
2. Average Check per Customer
Why it matters: More diners is good. Higher spend per diner is better — and often easier to influence.
How to calculate:
Gross Sales / Number of Guests
Quick win: Train servers to always suggest one upsell: dessert, side, sauce. Track results weekly.
What to watch out for:
- Stagnant check averages during busy weeks (it’s a red flag, you’re likely missing upsell opportunities)
- Poor modifier visibility in digital menus
What great operators do:
Highlight staff with the highest average check and let them lead mini peer trainings.
For POS Resellers:
Integrate upsell prompts and smart modifiers into the order flow. Show clients how average check increases with good UI.
3. Prime Cost (Labor + CoGS)
Why it matters: This is your profitability pulse, the combination of food and labor costs should stay under 60% of sales.
How to calculate:
Labor Cost + Cost of Goods Sold
Quick win: Create a recurring alert if your prime cost rises more than 3% week over week.
What to watch out for:
- Untracked waste in the kitchen
- Inconsistent portion sizes
- Over-reliance on overtime or delivery commissions that spike labor cost
What great operators do:
Hold a weekly 15-min prime cost review with kitchen + FOH leads. Make it part of your operating rhythm.
4. Break-Even Point (Yes, Weekly)
Why it matters: Knowing when your restaurant turns a profit in a given week gives you a strategic advantage. Waiting until the end of the month means you’re always reacting too late.
How to calculate:
Break-even = Fixed Costs / ((Total Sales – Variable Costs) / Total Sales)
Quick win: Overlay your break-even point on your daily sales reports. Visually highlight “profit days.”
What to watch out for:
- Thinking break-even is a static number, it moves with staff hours, promo costs, and delivery fees.
- Ignoring it altogether.
What great operators do:
Recalculate break-even when something changes: new menu, new promo, new delivery partner. Don’t wait for finance to flag a red zone.
5. Inventory Turnover Rate
Why it matters: This tells you how often you're selling through your inventory. A sluggish turnover rate usually means you’re tying up cash in ingredients that don’t move, or worse, you’re creating waste.
How to calculate:
CoGS / ((Beginning Inventory + Ending Inventory) / 2)
Target benchmark: 4–8 times/month (1–2 turns/week)
Quick win: Identify low-turn items and either cross-utilize them in more dishes or cut them entirely.
What to watch out for:
- Overstocking “just in case”
- Relying on gut feel instead of data to place orders
- Dead stock hiding in the freezer
What great operators do:
Set par levels based on weekly sales data, not emotion.
6. Percentage of Repeat Customers
Why it matters: First-time diners help grow volume. Repeat diners drive profitability.
How to calculate:
(Repeat Guests / Total Guests) × 100
Quick win: Run a “bounceback” offer and track how many diners return within 7 days. It tells you more than a review ever will.
What to watch out for:
- Spending big on ads without tracking whether guests return
- Not using your POS data to identify regulars
What great operators do:
Use loyalty tools to segment frequent guests and test offers. Start with simple rewards tied to average spend.
For POS Resellers:
Help restaurants calculate repeat customer rate by integrating POS + loyalty + CRM. Set up an auto-report. That alone can retain a client.
7. RevPASH (Revenue per Available Seat Hour)
Why it matters: This is a goldmine for maximizing space and time. It helps you see if your seating layout and scheduling are actually working.
How to calculate:
Revenue / (Available Seats × Hours Open)
Quick win: Find your slowest two-hour block and try a micro-promo or limited menu.
What to watch out for:
- Four-tops regularly filled with two guests
- Dead space during early or late shifts
What great operators do:
Use RevPASH to justify layout changes or weekday promos. It’s your proof that a two-top swap or happy hour isn’t just a vibe, it’s strategy.
Tracking all seven metrics every week might sound like a lot. But you don’t have to start with all seven.
If you're a restaurant owner, pick two metrics you’re not currently tracking, and build from there.
If you're a POS reseller or consultant, use these metrics to drive deeper conversations, and stickier client relationships.
Because restaurants that track the right numbers don’t just survive, they outperform.
