Setting Up Demand Forecasting
Configure forecasting, connect external data sources, and understand what the system learns from your restaurant's data.
Accessing Forecasts
- Go to Manager > Reports > Forecasting
- Select date range (today, tomorrow, week, month)
- View predictions and recommendations
Forecast Types
| Forecast | Timeframe | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Tomorrow | Staff scheduling, prep |
| Weekly | Next 7 days | Ordering, scheduling |
| Monthly | Next 30 days | Inventory planning |
| Hourly | By hour | Real-time adjustments |
What's Predicted
| Metric | Description | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | Guest count by hour | 92-96% |
| Revenue | Total sales | 90-94% |
| Item Sales | Per menu item | 85-92% |
| Category Mix | Apps vs Entrees etc | 88-93% |
| Daypart Split | Lunch vs Dinner | 94-97% |
Pattern Recognition
Historical Analysis
The system analyzes your data to find patterns:
| Pattern Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Day of Week | Saturdays 25% higher than Tuesday |
| Daypart | Lunch is 40% of dinner revenue |
| Seasonal | Summer patio months +18% |
| Monthly | First week of month +8% |
| Payday | 15th & 30th +12% |
Pattern Dashboard
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DISCOVERED PATTERNS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ DAY OF WEEK (baseline: Monday) │
│ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Mon: ████████████████████ 100% (baseline) │
│ Tue: ██████████████████░░ 92% │
│ Wed: █████████████████████ 108% │
│ Thu: ███████████████████████ 115% │
│ Fri: █████████████████████████████ 145% │
│ Sat: ████████████████████████████████ 162% │
│ Sun: █████████████████████████ 128% │
│ │
│ SEASONAL TRENDS │
│ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ • Summer (Jun-Aug): +18% avg revenue │
│ • Holiday season (Nov-Dec): +25% avg revenue │
│ • January: -12% (post-holiday slump) │
│ • Spring break week: +15% │
│ │
│ YOUR UNIQUE PATTERNS │
│ ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ • NFL Sundays: +35% during games │
│ • Local university events: +22% │
│ • Rainy days: +8% (people stay local) │
│ • Convention center events: +28% │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
External Factors
Weather Integration
Weather impacts are automatically factored:
| Condition | Typical Impact |
|---|---|
| Sunny/Clear | Patio +40%, takeout -10% |
| Rainy | Dine-in +12%, delivery +25% |
| Extreme Cold | -15% overall, soup +30% |
| Extreme Heat | -8% overall, cold drinks +50% |
| Snow | -25% dine-in, delivery surge |
Events Calendar
Connect local event calendars:
- Go to Settings > Integrations > Events
- Enable:
- Local sports teams
- Convention center
- University calendar
- Concert venues
- Community events
Holiday Adjustments
Built-in holiday awareness:
| Holiday | Typical Impact |
|---|---|
| Valentine's Day | +85% dinner |
| Mother's Day | +120% brunch |
| Super Bowl | +45% (bar focus) |
| Thanksgiving | Restaurant-specific |
| New Year's Eve | +150% late night |
Best Practices
Getting Started
- Collect data first - Run 30+ days before enabling dynamic pricing
- Start conservative - Max 10% price changes initially
- Test one rule - Don't enable everything at once
- Monitor closely - Daily review first month
Related Guides
- Interpreting Forecasts - Reading and acting on predictions
- Dynamic Pricing - Price optimization configuration
- Sales Reports - Historical analysis