How a Casual Seafood Restaurant Used Real-Time Insights to Drive Sales and Enhance Guest Experience
A casual seafood restaurant group wanted to increase sales of its signature seafood starter, a high-margin appetizer often recommended to first-time diners. The dish was designed to introduce guests to the brand’s fresh seafood offerings, making it a key part of the guest experience. While some locations successfully positioned it as a must-try item, others struggled to gain traction. Leadership believed manager engagement played a major role in execution but lacked the visibility to prove it.
To test their theory, the brand launched an Axial Shift Sales Contest across six locations. The initiative aimed to do more than just boost appetizer sales—it provided real-time insights into manager engagement and frontline execution. With Axial Shift’s tracking capabilities, leadership could monitor how managers reinforced the promotion, coached staff, and kept teams focused on recommending the dish to first-time guests.
As the contest progressed, the data revealed a clear trend: locations where General Managers actively used Axial Shift saw the highest increases in appetizer sales. These managers checked performance dashboards frequently, provided in-the-moment coaching, and encouraged staff to consistently recommend the dish. Meanwhile, locations with lower Axial Shift usage saw less consistent results.
By the end of the contest, the results spoke for themselves: higher manager engagement led to stronger frontline execution and increased appetizer sales. More first-time guests were introduced to the restaurant’s signature starter, creating a better guest experience and stronger long-term brand connection.
Encouraged by the success, the company is now expanding Axial Shift-powered sales contests to other menu items, using real-time visibility and data-driven engagement to enhance guest interactions and drive sales across all locations.
