Restaurant Management System for Performance Reporting

Abstract

A restaurant management system and method interface is provided. In accordance with the invention, data from various restaurant operations is collected and stored for processing. The data is processed into useful metrics, such as those indicative of various categories of restaurant staffing, efficiency, performance and quality. The useful metrics can be displayed as a human-readable chart, graph or report. The data can be processed in real time, permitting managers to promptly make adjustments and to alert restaurant workers or crew members of deficiencies so that prompt and effective remedial action can be taken to improve restaurant performance. Reports may be generated that provide the performance of restaurants individually and as a combined group.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for restaurant management comprising:
 an order input interface for obtaining food order data;   a service input interface for obtaining point-of-sale service data;   a task completion input device, the task completion input device having a human readable display and an input interface capable of receiving an input from a human indicating completion of restaurant tasks, the input device having program code capable of indicating a task to be completed on the human readable display and program code for generating restaurant task completion data;   a computer system connected to the order input interface and the service input interface, the computer system capable of receiving food order data from the order input interface, point-of-sale service data from the service input interface and restaurant task completion data from the task completion input device, the computer system having   computer program code capable of generating restaurant performance data based on data selected from the food order data, point-of-sale service data, and restaurant task completion data;   a first computer program code operable by the computer system and capable of transforming the restaurant performance data, task completion data and staffing level data into metrics; and   a second computer program code operable by the computer system and capable of providing a report summarizing staffing levels, metrics and targets for metrics, the metrics including service times, and maintenance or food safety metrics.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the metrics are selected from the group consisting of shift metrics, quality metrics, service metrics, cleanliness metrics and profit metrics. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the shift metrics are selected from the group consisting of sales projection accuracy, customer count projection efficiency, projected needed staffing efficiency, actual restaurant crew hours compared to scheduled crew hours, actual restaurant crew hours compared to scheduled crew hours, actual crew hours compared to needed crew hours. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the quality metrics are selected from the group consisting of food safety completion checks and equipment preventive maintenance. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 2  wherein the service metrics are selected from the group consisting of percentage and/or number of front counter service times within a prescribed time limit for service, average drive-thru order time to order presentment, average cashier time to present to drive-thru customer. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the restaurant tasks are selected from at least one of the group consisting of restaurant operation tasks and food safety tasks. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the task completion input device is a handheld input device. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a remote computer, wherein the first and second computer program codes are individually executable on at least a selected one of the computer system and the remote computer. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the food order data comprises data selected from the group consisting of price, type and quantity of food and the point-of-sale service data comprises data selected from the group consisting of elapsed time from order initiation to order completion, elapsed time from order initiation to order presentment, elapsed time from order payment to order presentment and elapsed time from food item completion to food item procurement by a restaurant crew member. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a point-of-sale device in the restaurant, the point-of-sale device comprising the order input interface and a human readable display for displaying customer order data including data selected from the group consisting of the type, price and quantity of the items ordered. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a human readable service display connected to the computer system, the service display capable of displaying orders to be served, the display viewable from the service input interface, wherein the service input interface is a human-operable signaling device. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein inputting information indicating service of the order or completion of preparation of the order through the human-operable signaling device causes the service display to no longer display the served or completed order. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the order input interface is a vehicle drive-thru order station. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising a vehicle drive-thru order station that includes a data transmitter for transmitting customer order data from a customer at the order station; and
 a data display device for displaying the customer order to a restaurant worker located at the order input interface. 
 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the data transmitter is selected from the group consisting of a microphone and a keypad and the data display device is selected from the group consisting of a speaker and a human readable display.