Forecasting is not entirely rocket science but it could be complicated for some restaurants. Why is that? Because some areas where restaurants are located do not allow sane forecasting.
There are places where the flow of guests can be predictable. Low on weekdays, high on weekends, busy at lunch, slow on sundays and the like. Some restaurants get satisfied by subjective data, meaning no official figures to base their forecasts on. This can be very hard for restaurateurs if there will be any attempt to forecast.
Forecasting, if done properly, can save you and your staff a lot of effort, money and other resources.
A simple way to start collecting data for forecasting is to write down the number of guests who come everyday at particular times like lunch service or dinner service or whatever is applicable for your restaurant. Collect at least three months' worth of data to see the trend. Make sure to separate count for functions if you have any function service.
Now, while you are waiting for three months, monitor your number of guests on a daily basis and follow the trend every week taking into consideration holidays and special occasions during which you have to adjust your preparations.
Make also a daily menu tally to know the orders you have to prepare for each menu item on a daily basis. If you have a expansive menu, this will be a big job. A manual tally will do job but things will be faster if you automate it from your orderslip encoding.
Forecasting can save you money and effort in preparations. It also saves you space in your chillers, freezers and pantry as the data you get from forecasting will aid purchasing to order just in time.
Is forecasting hard? Yes and no. Yes, because it can make or break your business. No, because there are manual and technology-aided ways to do it easier.
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