5.NO.3 — Per-Person Average #
This is not about upselling. Per-person average tells you whether your team is effectively guiding Guests through the full experience your concept was designed to deliver.
When per-person average is flat or declining in a period where your menu prices have increased, your team is not leading. Guests are self-editing — skipping courses, defaulting to lower-priced options, ordering water instead of beverages. That is a Coaching problem, not a menu problem. It means your cast is taking orders rather than creating experiences.
Conversely, a rising per-person average without a corresponding increase in Guest satisfaction is a warning sign. It may mean you have pushed price beyond the value your Guest perceives. The two numbers — per-person average and Guest sentiment — must move together. When they diverge, something needs your attention.
Track it by daypart, not just as a house average. Your dinner per-person average and your lunch per-person average are telling you different stories. Listen to both.