How Top Restaurants Use Data—And Why Taprooms Should Too

Taprooms are operating more like restaurants than ever before, and to stay competitive, they need to adopt the best practices from forward-thinking restaurants - especially when it comes to using data to drive profitability. Even in a tough market, the most successful businesses are leveraging cost data, menu insights, and server performance metrics to improve margins and maximize revenue. Jim Taylor, founder of Benchmark Sixty, has helped hundreds of restaurants optimize productivity, margins, and employee retention, while Jeremy Carney, founder of Central Coast Analytics, develops world-class data solutions that give craft breweries instant access to critical business insights. Together, they’ll share what the best operators are doing right now to control costs, price smarter, and drive higher check sizes—so you can put these strategies to work in your taproom. Jim and Jeremy will give examples of how taprooms that don’t track and act on this data often deal with unexpected results, constant surprises, and inconsistent profitability and performance. And how by leveraging data, you can: Protect your margins by keeping costs under control and pricing profitably. Staff smarter by aligning labor with demand instead of guesswork. Increase revenue by optimizing your menu and improving server performance. This session will break down how to track the right numbers and take action on them immediately. Attendees will walk away with easy-to-implement strategies that can boost profitability right away, and live attendees will receive free resources to help put these ideas into action. Jeremy: As the Founder of Central Coast Analytics, Jeremy is revolutionizing how craft breweries interact with data. With 20 years of experience in analytics, he develops cutting-edge solutions that provide breweries and other industry partners with critical performance insights at their fingertips. His work enables clients to quickly see a holistic overview of their business and effortlessly drill in to uncover actionable insights. Jeremy's passion lies in helping breweries transform data from a headache into a strategic advantage, empowering breweries to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Jim: Jim Taylor is a restaurant industry leader with over 20 years of experience helping businesses optimize operations, improve margins, and drive profitability. As the Founder & CEO of Benchmark Sixty Restaurant Services, he has worked with hundreds of restaurants across North America and the UK, helping them turn data into profit by rethinking productivity, staffing, and financial strategy. Jim has also played a key role in the growth of a leading national restaurant brand and is now a partner at Le Crocodile by Rob Feenie in Vancouver. He recently published his first book, Bold Operations – Building the Foundation of Strategic Excellence in Restaurants. Passionate about transforming the hospitality industry, Jim challenges leaders to “see things differently” to create sustainable businesses, improve employee retention, and reduce financial stress. His mission is to redefine how restaurants measure success, making the industry a thriving place for both businesses and employees. Stay up to date with CBP: http://update.craftbeerprofessionals.org Join us in-person for CBP Connects Half workshop, half networking Charlotte, NC | June 9-11, 2025 Register now: https://cbpconnects.com/