Number one: net sales (and mix) by day-part
Not vanity totals — the sales you can explain. If mix shifts suddenly, something changed: pricing, execution, competition, or a data issue. Catch it early.
Number two: gross margin signal (even if approximate)
Perfection is not required; consistency is. Pick a definition your kitchen and finance leads agree on and stick to it week to week so you are comparing the same story.
Number three: labour as a percentage of revenue
Pair it with productivity context (covers, sales per labour hour). Labour is not “bad” — unmanaged labour is.
Weekly discipline beats monthly surprise. The decisions that change outcomes happen in the days after service — not three weeks later.
How to keep it lightweight
One page. One meeting. Fifteen minutes. If it takes longer than that, the metrics are wrong for the stage you are at.