Executive Summary
Q1 2023 root cause analysis. Total revenue: $160,782.55 across 90 days. Data source: 12,218 POS records (January–March 2023).
Q1 Total Revenue
$160,783
January–March 2023
Avg Daily Revenue
$1,786
90-day average
Top Revenue Day
Monday
$2,017 / day avg
↑ vs Wednesday $1,540
Top-Earning Item
Korean Beef Bowl
$10,626 | 592 orders
6.6% of Q1 revenue
Most-Ordered Item
Hamburger
629 orders | $8,146
Rank 5 by revenue
Best Avg Daily Rev
February
$1,832 / day
Shorter month effect
Items for Removal
11
$31,942 | 19.9% revenue
↓ Kitchen complexity
Holiday Revenue Uplift
+17%
$2,075 vs $1,773 avg
↑ Dinner only recommended
Italian and Asian cuisines account for 60% of Q1 revenue ($97,040), driven by price premium and order volume respectively.
Dinner service is the primary revenue engine across all seven days. Monday leads all days at $2,017 average daily revenue.
Eleven underperforming menu items should be removed to simplify the kitchen and concentrate revenue on proven performers.
By order volume, Hamburger is the most-ordered item overall (629 orders), followed by Edamame (625) and Korean Beef Bowl (592) - material for stock planning and kitchen throughput.
Key Takeaways
Nine findings ranked by operational significance.
Italian: Price-Led Dominance
Italian generates the most revenue ($49,851) at the highest average price ($16.78/item) despite having fewer items sold than Asian. Price is the driver, not volume.
Korean Beef Bowl — Anchor Item
Single highest-earning item at $10,626 accounting for 6.6% of Q1 revenue alone.
Must be retained and actively promoted at every service.
Volume vs Revenue: Hamburger vs Edamame
Hamburger leads by count (629 orders).
Edamame ranks 2nd by volume (625 orders) but generates only $3,125 due to its $5.00 price point— a high-frequency, low-value item.
Monday Dinner Is a Footfall Story
Monday's $477 revenue advantage over Wednesday is 69.8% explained by dinner volume: 469 covers vs 337. Average spend per dinner order is nearly identical ($28.51 vs $26.98). The gap is who comes in, not how much they spend.
February: Shorter Month Effect
February achieves the best average daily revenue ($1,832) because 28 days concentrates strong weekday evenings into fewer days — not a demand spike.
Holidays: Dinner-Only Operation
Holiday dinner revenue per table ($67.74) is the highest of any segment. Holidays average 17% above regular days.
Recommended: dinner-only service 17:00–22:00 on major holidays.
11 Items for Removal
Review-quadrant items contribute $31,942 (19.9% of revenue) but generate disproportionate kitchen complexity. Chicken Tacos (1.4 orders/day) is the weakest item and is recommended for immediate removal.
Wednesday 16:00 Anomaly
Wednesday 16:00 generates 80 orders and $2,484 - the highest 16:00 of any day. The gap vs Monday is in the 19:00–22:00 window. Targeted evening incentives will be more effective than a generic Wednesday promotion.
Revenue Drivers by Cuisine
Italian and Asian together account for $97,040 (60.4% of Q1 revenue), reaching that position through opposite mechanisms: Italian via price, Asian via volume.
Italian
$49,852
31.0% revenue share
$16.78 avg item price
Asian
$47,188
29.3% revenue share
3,505 items sold — highest
Mexican
$35,181
21.9% revenue share
$11.82 avg item price
American
$28,562
17.8% revenue share
$10.33 avg — lowest
Revenue by Cuisine — Total & Avg Item Price
Q1 Revenue Share by Cuisine
Table 1: Q1 2023 Cuisine Revenue Comparison
| Cuisine | Total Revenue | Revenue Share | Items Sold | Avg Item Price | Avg Rev / Order | Price Mechanism |
|---|
| Italian |
$49,851.50 | 31.0% | 2,971 | $16.78 | $21.63 |
Price-led |
| Asian |
$47,188.30 | 29.3% | 3,505 | $13.46 | $17.78 |
Volume-led |
| Mexican |
$35,181.10 | 21.9% | 2,976 | $11.82 | $15.38 |
Mid-tier |
| American |
$28,561.65 | 17.8% | 2,765 | $10.33 | $13.16 |
Price-capped |
Italian
Asian
Mexican
American
Italian — Price-Led Performance: Top revenue category at $49,851.50 (31.0%). Achieves this with only 2,971 items sold because its average item price of $16.78 is the highest of any cuisine. Spaghetti & Meatballs ($8,508) and Eggplant Parmesan ($7,153) are the two strongest performers. Items priced at $14.50 or above consistently generate above-average revenue. Fettuccine Alfredo (250 orders) and Cheese Lasagna (210 orders) fall into the Review quadrant and are candidates for removal.
Asian — Volume-Led Performance: Generates $47,188.30 (29.3%) through the highest item volume (3,505 items sold). Korean Beef Bowl ($10,626, 592 orders) and Tofu Pad Thai ($8,251, 569 orders) anchor the category. Edamame (625 orders, $5.00) is the second-most-ordered item in the dataset — ranked behind Hamburger (629 orders) — and generates only $3,125 in revenue. It is a high-frequency side item, not a revenue driver. Potstickers (207 orders) and California Roll (362 orders) fall below the Review threshold.
Mexican — Mid-Tier with Concentration Risk: Generates $35,181.10 (21.9%). Steak Torta (491 orders, $6,849) and Chicken Burrito (459 orders, $5,944) carry the category. Six of nine Mexican items fall into Review or Workhorse quadrants. Chicken Tacos is the worst-performing item in the entire menu with 124 orders at $11.95 over 90 days — equating to 1.4 orders per day. Recommended for immediate removal.
American — Price-Ceiling Constraint: Generates the least revenue ($28,561.65, 17.8%) despite competitive order volumes. The ceiling price of $13.95 limits average revenue per order to $13.16 — the lowest of any cuisine. Hamburger and Cheeseburger together account for $16,348 (57% of American revenue). Hot Dog and Veggie Burger fall below the Review threshold and should be removed.
Hourly and Daily Behaviour
Revenue concentrates in two distinct daily windows. The five highest-revenue hours account for 57% of total Q1 revenue. Lunch peak: 12:00–13:00. Dinner peak: 17:00–18:00.
12:00 — Lunch Peak
$21,874
1,672 items | 13.6% share
13:00 — Lunch
$20,832
1,589 items | 13.0% share
17:00 — Dinner
$18,039
1,319 items | 11.2% share
18:00 — Dinner
$17,082
1,307 items | 10.6% share
16:00 — Afternoon
$13,883
1,110 items | 8.6% share
Hourly Revenue Distribution — Q1 2023 Total
Weekday vs Weekend Hourly Pattern
Weekday lunch dominates volume; weekend lunch generates more revenue per table. Evening patterns converge.
Weekday vs Weekend — 12:00 Lunch Revenue
Key Insight: Per-Table Revenue
Weekday lunch 12:00: $14,832 ~ 2.1× the weekend equivalent ($7,042).
However, weekend lunch generates $54.24 revenue per table per day vs weekday's $44.42, as more orders are placed per table on weekends --- not because individual customers spend more.
Asian Cuisine Dominates Hourly Order Volume: At peak lunch (12:00), Asian logs 454 orders against Italian's 427, Mexican's 413, and American's 378. At peak dinner (18:00), Asian leads with 361 orders. Italian leads on revenue per order at every hour due to its higher price point. Asian fills seats and turns tables; Italian maximises how much each customer spends.
February Performance — Root Cause Analysis
February achieves the best average daily revenue despite the lowest total Q1 revenue. The driver is a shorter month, not a demand spike.
January
$54,359
31 days | 3 holidays
$1,754 avg daily
February ← Best Avg
$51,300
28 days | 1 holiday
$1,832 avg daily ↑ Best
March
$55,123
31 days | 0 holidays
$1,778 avg daily
Monthly Total vs Avg Daily Revenue
Lunch vs Dinner Revenue by Month
Why February Leads
Holiday Impact
Lunch vs Dinner
Why February Leads on Average Daily Revenue: February's $1,832 average daily revenue exceeds January ($1,754) and March ($1,778) despite its total revenue being the lowest of the three months. The driver is not a spike or special event — it is a shorter month (28 days) combined with a concentration of strong weekday evenings. February dinner revenue ($23,893) closely tracks January ($24,737) and March ($24,490), but the daily average is higher simply because there are fewer days to divide by. February 1 was the single highest-revenue day of the entire quarter at $2,425.
Holiday Impact: Presidents Day (20 February) generated $2,166 — the seventh-highest single day in Q1 and 19% above the February regular-day average. January's three holiday days averaged $2,045 — also above the January regular average. Holidays do not reduce revenue; guests who choose to dine out on a public holiday tend to spend above the regular-day average. March had no public holidays. The data supports keeping the restaurant open on holidays.
Lunch vs Dinner in February: February dinner revenue ($23,893) exceeded lunch ($20,165) by $3,728 — the widest dinner-lunch gap of any month. This reinforces the finding that dinner is the primary revenue driver, and that February's stronger daily average is concentrated in the evening. There is no evidence of table occupancy or time-at-table variation in the dataset.
Lunch vs Dinner Revenue by Month
| Month | Dinner Revenue | Lunch Revenue | Dinner-Lunch Gap | Dinner Dominance |
|---|
| January | $24,737 | — | — | Dinner leads |
| February | $23,893 | $20,165 | $3,728 ← Widest | Dinner leads |
| March | $24,490 | — | — | Dinner leads |
Weekday Analysis — Monday and the Day-of-Week Pattern
Monday leads all days at $2,017 avg daily revenue. The $477 gap vs Wednesday ($1,540) is 69.8% explained by dinner volume, not spend per customer.
Monday — Top Day
$2,017
$26,226 Q1 | 884 orders
↑ 469 dinner covers
Friday
$1,840
$23,919 Q1 | 787 orders
Tuesday
$1,821
$23,667 Q1 | 764 orders
Wednesday — Lowest
$1,540
$20,017 Q1 | 682 orders
↓ Only 337 dinner covers
Avg Daily Revenue by Day of Week
Monday vs Wednesday — Hourly Dinner Profile (17:00–22:00)
Gap Breakdown
Root Cause Diagnostic
Wednesday 16:00 Anomaly
Weekend Patterns
Table 4a: Monday vs Wednesday Revenue Gap by Meal Period
| Meal Period | Monday Q1 Rev | Wednesday Q1 Rev | Gap | % of Total Gap |
|---|
| Lunch (11:00–14:00) | $9,811 | $6,863 | $2,948 | — |
| Dinner (17:00–22:00) | $13,426 | $9,091 | $4,335 | 69.8% |
| Transition / Other | $2,989 | $4,063 | −$1,074 | — |
| Total | $26,226 | $20,017 | $6,209 | 100% |
Dinner accounts for $4,335 of the $6,209 gap — 69.8%. The primary area to focus on is Wednesday dinner, not lunch.
Table 4b: Monday vs Wednesday — Diagnostic Metrics
| Metric | Monday | Wednesday | Difference |
|---|
| Total Q1 orders | 884 | 682 | +202 orders (+29.6%) |
| Dinner orders (17:00–22:00) | 469 | 337 | +132 covers (+39.2%) |
| Avg revenue per dinner order | $28.51 | $26.98 | +$1.53 (+5.7%) |
| Avg items per order (dinner) | 2.18 | 2.09 | +0.09 |
| High-ticket items (≥$15.50) — dinner share | 32.0% | 29.1% | +2.9 pp |
Average spend per dinner order is $28.51 Monday vs $26.98 Wednesday — a difference of only $1.53. Neither the spend gap nor items-per-order difference explains a 39% gap in customer numbers. Monday's dinner advantage comes from volume — it attracts 39% more evening customers than Wednesday.
Wednesday 16:00 Orders
80
Highest 16:00 of any day
Wednesday 16:00 Revenue
$2,484
vs Monday 16:00: $1,747
Wednesday Drop-Off
19:00+
Orders collapse after 19:00
17 orders at 22:00 vs 40 Mon
Wednesday 16:00 Anomaly: Wednesday already has early-evening appetite — 80 orders and $2,484 at 16:00, the highest 16:00 of any day. Customers arrive early but do not stay into later dinner slots. The 19:00 drop-off is the problem. The most targeted fix is a structured offer for the 18:00–21:00 window — not a generic Wednesday promotion. A fixed-price dinner or group booking incentive focused on that specific window would address the gap hour-by-hour.
Saturday — Most Balanced
$1,783
Lunch $9,386 | Dinner $9,412
Near-identical meal periods
Sunday — Lunch Leads
$1,802
Lunch $10,955 | Dinner $9,131
Only day lunch > dinner
Weekend Lunch Per Table
$54.24
vs Weekday $44.42
More orders per table
Weekend Patterns: Saturday lunch and dinner are near-identical in revenue, making it the most balanced day. Sunday lunch leads Sunday dinner ($10,955 vs $9,131) — the only day where lunch clearly exceeds dinner. Weekend lunch generates more revenue per table per day ($54.24) than weekday lunch ($44.42) because more orders are placed per table — not because individual customers spend more per visit.
Table Revenue and Holiday Operating Recommendations
Revenue is evenly distributed across all 15 tables (spread of only $1,705 or 17%). Holiday dinner revenue per table ($67.74) is the highest of any segment. Recommendation: dinner-only service on major holidays.
Holiday Dinner / Table / Day
$67.74
Highest of any segment
↑ vs Weekday Dinner $55.98
Weekday Dinner / Table / Day
$55.98
65 weekday days
Weekend Lunch / Table / Day
$54.24
25 weekend days
Holiday Revenue Premium
+17%
$2,075 vs $1,773 avg
↑ Do not close on holidays
Avg Revenue per Table per Day — by Segment
Avg Revenue per Order by Segment
Table 5: Avg Revenue per Table by Day Type and Meal Period
| Segment | Avg Rev / Table / Day | Avg Rev / Order | Days in Q1 | Highlight |
|---|
| Weekday Lunch | $44.42 | $32.79 | 65 | — |
| Weekday Dinner | $55.98 | $28.51 | 65 | — |
| Weekend Lunch | $54.24 | $32.13 | 25 | More orders per table |
| Weekend Dinner | $49.45 | $28.31 | 25 | — |
| Holiday Lunch | $52.25 | $32.32 | 4 | — |
| Holiday Dinner | $67.74 | $29.03 | 4 | ↑ Highest segment |
Holiday Operating Recommendation: On major public holidays, operate a dinner-only service (17:00–22:00). This reduces staffing costs, focuses service hours on the highest-earning meal period, and avoids quieter early-hour trading that brings down holiday averages. Do not close on holidays — both total revenue and per-table dinner earnings are above the regular-day average. Holiday dinner revenue per table ($67.74) is 21% above weekday dinner ($55.98) and 37% above weekend dinner ($49.45).
Table Distribution: Revenue across all 15 tables ranges from $10,146.50 (T15) to $11,851.50 (T14) — a spread of only $1,705 (17%). Table position is not a meaningful revenue lever. Staffing and seating decisions should focus on meal period and day type, not table location.
Top Items by Order Volume
All 32 menu items ranked by Q1 2023 order count. Complements the revenue-led analysis. Volume and revenue rankings diverge significantly — both views are needed for complete menu management, stock planning, and kitchen throughput.
#1 by Volume
Hamburger
629 orders | $8,146
Rev Rank #5
#2 by Volume
Edamame
625 orders | $3,125
Rev Rank #25
#3 by Volume
Korean Beef Bowl
592 orders | $10,626
Rev Rank #1
#4 by Volume
Cheeseburger
588 orders | $8,203
Rev Rank #4
#5 by Volume
French Fries
576 orders | $4,032
Rev Rank #20
Top 10 Items — Order Volume vs Revenue
Volume Rank vs Revenue Rank — Gap Analysis (Top 10 by Volume)
Top 10 by Volume
Full Ranking (32 Items)
Volume vs Revenue Divergence
Table 7: Top 10 Menu Items by Q1 2023 Order Count
| Rank | Item | Category | Q1 Orders | Q1 Revenue | Avg Price | Revenue Rank |
|---|
| 1 | Hamburger | American | 629 | $8,145.55 | $12.95 | 5 |
| 2 | Edamame | Asian | 625 | $3,125.00 | $5.00 | 25 |
| 3 | Korean Beef Bowl | Asian | 592 | $10,626.40 | $17.95 | 1 |
| 4 | Cheeseburger | American | 588 | $8,202.60 | $13.95 | 4 |
| 5 | French Fries | American | 576 | $4,032.00 | $7.00 | 20 |
| 6 | Tofu Pad Thai | Asian | 569 | $8,250.50 | $14.50 | 3 |
| 7 | Steak Torta | Mexican | 491 | $6,849.45 | $13.95 | 8 |
| 8 | Spaghetti & Meatballs | Italian | 474 | $8,508.30 | $17.95 | 2 |
| 9 | Mac & Cheese | American | 467 | $3,269.00 | $7.00 | 22 |
| 10 | Chips & Salsa | Mexican | 465 | $3,260.95 | $7.00 | 23 |
Korean Beef Bowl generates more revenue per order ($17.95) than Hamburger ($12.95) despite 37 fewer orders in Q1. Spaghetti & Meatballs and Tofu Pad Thai follow the same pattern. Order count and revenue both matter for complete menu management.
Table 8: Full Q1 2023 Order Volume Ranking — All 32 Menu Items (with Monthly Breakdown)
| Rank | Item | Category | Q1 Orders | Q1 Revenue | Jan | Feb | Mar |
|---|
Five items rank materially higher by volume than by revenue. These are items where high order numbers mask low revenue contribution. A price increase may generate meaningful returns.
Table 9: Items Ordered More Often Than Their Revenue Suggests
| Item | Volume Rank | Revenue Rank | Gap | Avg Price | Implication |
|---|
| Edamame | 2 | 25 | −23 | $5.00 | High volume, low revenue — review price or portion |
| French Fries | 5 | 20 | −15 | $7.00 | High-frequency side — stock planning priority |
| Chips & Salsa | 10 | 23 | −13 | $7.00 | High-frequency side — stock planning priority |
| Mac & Cheese | 9 | 22 | −13 | $7.00 | High demand, low ticket — price increase candidate |
| Hot Dog | 23 | 29 | −6 | $9.00 | Low volume and low revenue — removal candidate |
