Restaurant sales growth rate by venue and fiscal quarter
What the answer looks like
Illustrative output on sample data
Illustrative example: how Lexi answers this for a quick-service franchise group with 30 locations. It applies the group's fiscal calendar, which starts in July, to POS revenue after discounts and refunds.
- Q1: $24.1M, up 5.2% on the prior year
- Q2: $27.8M, up 3.1%
- Q3: $22.6M, down 1.4%
- Q4: $25.3M, up 2.0%
What the data shows
Growth slowed through the year and Q3 fell. Six locations account for most of the Q3 decline.
What it means
Four of the six sit near a competitor that opened in Q2. The other two had kitchen refits that closed them for part of the quarter.
What to do
Plan a guest winback for the four competitor-affected locations, and report the refit locations separately.
Want me to show each location's growth rate by quarter?
Why it matters
Calendar months rarely line up with how a restaurant group plans and reports. Showing revenue by venue on your own fiscal quarters, with growth against the prior year, gives finance and operations one consistent view of which venues are pulling ahead or falling behind.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate a restaurant's sales growth rate?
Subtract last year's sales from this year's for the same fiscal period, divide by last year's sales and multiply by 100. Compare like with like, so the same quarter against the same quarter, and note any closures or new openings that affect the comparison.
Why report restaurant revenue on fiscal quarters?
Many restaurant groups plan budgets and report to owners on a fiscal year that does not match the calendar. Using the same quarters in every report keeps sales, budget and forecasts aligned, and avoids confusing comparisons between teams.
How should new or refurbished venues be handled in growth figures?
Report them separately, or compare only venues open for the full period in both years. Including a venue that was closed for a refit, or newly opened, distorts the group's growth rate and hides how the established venues are really doing.