"This year we're going to sell more." You have probably said it, and your team has nodded along. Then nothing changes, because nobody knows what "more" means, by when, or what to do differently tomorrow morning.
What a SMART goal is
SMART is a simple checklist for turning a wish into a target. A good goal has five ingredients:
- Specific: clear and narrow. "Raise the average order value", not "sell more".
- Measurable: it has a number, so you know where you are.
- Achievable: stretching, but realistic with the people and time you have.
- Relevant: it matters for the business right now.
- Time-bound: it has a deadline.
Put together, "sell more" becomes something like: "Raise our average order value from €18 to €20 over the next three months." The figures are only an example, but notice how much clearer the target becomes.
Why vague goals fail
A vague goal gives nobody a next step. "Sell more" does not tell a server what to say at the table or a cook what to change on the line.
A SMART goal turns into actions on its own. If the target is a higher average order, the team knows to suggest a drink, mention the dessert and offer the extras that go with a dish. Clarity at the top becomes behaviour on the floor.
A goal for every area
SMART goals work best when each part of the restaurant has its own, linked to the bigger picture:
- Front of house: raise the average order value, or cut the wait for a table at peak times.
- Kitchen: reduce waste on a few key ingredients, or keep ticket times within an agreed limit.
- Online and marketing: grow the share of orders that come through your own site, or grow the number of customers you can reach by email.
When each person has a goal they can influence, they know what they are working towards and can feel the progress week by week.
A worked example
Say your restaurant takes a good number of takeaway orders, but most arrive by phone or through marketplaces. You want more of them on your own channel.
A SMART version could be: "Over the next eight weeks, increase the number of weekly orders on our own site from 40 to 60, by putting a QR code on every bag and asking every phone customer if they'd like the link."
It is specific (orders on your own site), measurable (40 to 60), achievable (a modest step with clear actions), relevant (direct orders keep the customer relationship with you) and time-bound (eight weeks). The numbers are hypothetical: pick your own starting point.
Measuring is half the job
The M is where most goals quietly fail. If you do not track your average order value, you will never know if it went up. Goals and numbers go together: choose two or three figures that matter and look at them every week.
Write the starting number down before you begin. Without it, you cannot tell progress from noise.
Two common mistakes
- Goals that are too big. "Triple sales this month" is not motivating; it is a recipe for disappointment when it does not happen.
- Goals that are too vague. If nobody can tell whether it was reached, it was never really a goal.
SMART protects you from both: targets that stretch the team, but stay realistic and always measurable.
Where GetFoodies fits
A goal is only as good as the number behind it. The GetFoodies dashboard shows orders, customers and your numbers over time, so you can set a target for direct orders or average order value and see whether you are getting there. GetChef can also suggest promotions ready to send when you want to push a specific goal.
Set one goal this week
Choose one area. Write one SMART goal: specific, with a number, realistic, relevant and with a deadline. Share it with the team, put the starting figure on the wall and check it every week.
If you want your own channel to be one of those goals, you can create your free site and start measuring from day one.