Why Weekly Tracking Beats Monthly Recaps

Monthly reports are great for spotting trends—but by the time you review them, it’s too late to course-correct. Tracking the right metrics weekly helps you catch issues early, adjust scheduling, manage costs in real-time, and improve performance shift by shift. It’s not about drowning in numbers—it’s about knowing what matters and looking at it consistently.

1. Labor as a Percentage of Sales

Labor is one of the most controllable costs in your business, but only if you’re watching it closely. Track total labor cost (including payroll taxes and benefits) as a percentage of gross sales each week. This will help you optimize scheduling, reduce waste, and avoid surprises at payroll time.

2. Table Turn Time and Average Check Size

Fast turns are good—but only if they don’t shrink the check. Monitor how quickly tables are flipping and how much each guest is spending. A sudden drop in average spend or slower turn time could mean service friction, staffing gaps, or menu confusion. Tools like OpenTab help streamline checkout, which can speed up turns without rushing guests out the door.

3. Guest Feedback and Review Volume

Whether it’s comment cards, surveys, or online reviews, guest sentiment is a real-time signal of how your experience is landing. Set a weekly target for the number of reviews received and track common themes—both good and bad. A steady volume of feedback is a sign of engagement, while silence may indicate deeper issues.

‍

4. Staff Turnover and Training Progress

Track how many shifts new hires are completing and how quickly they reach full productivity. High early turnover or repeated retraining often point to onboarding gaps. Monitoring these numbers weekly helps you refine your hiring and training process—and keep your labor investment working for you.

5. Payment Speed and Closeout Errors

One often-overlooked metric: how long it takes guests to pay and how often errors occur during closeout. Long payment times lead to longer table turns and frustrated staff. If your servers are regularly fixing mistakes or reprinting checks, it’s a sign your payment flow needs an upgrade. OpenTab reduces closeout friction by letting guests pay on their phones—speeding things up and reducing human error.

‍

‍