For Independent Operators

Your numbers,
explained.
Every week.

Cogswell IQ delivers weekly prime cost intelligence and a consultant's action plan — tailored to your restaurant, your margins, your operation. No generic software. A real expert in your corner.

Built for independent restaurants  ·  First 5 years of business  ·  Weekly delivery
Weekly Report — The Corner Table
✓ Delivered
JL
Maria — labor ran hot this week and pushed you over target. The Sunday shift is the culprit. Action items below will get you back under 60% by next report.
61.4%
Prime Cost
34.2%
Food Cost
27.2%
Labor Cost
1
Cut one FOH position from Sunday 5–9 PM. You had 5 servers on a $3,200 night — 4 is right.
2
Spot-check produce variance — running 1.2% above recipe cost.
3
Review appetizer attach rate — apps down 18% vs. last month.
The Problem
You're doing good volume.
The money isn't showing up.

Most independent operators know something's off — but between running the floor, managing staff, and keeping guests happy, there's no time to dig into the numbers.

📉

You don't know your real prime cost

Food cost plus labor — the two biggest levers in your business. Most operators can tell you roughly, but not accurately, and not week to week.

🌀

The data is there — but not organized

Toast, SYSCO, your payroll system — every number you need exists somewhere. But pulling it together into a clear picture takes hours you don't have.

🎯

Generic advice doesn't fit your operation

Online benchmarks and software dashboards don't know your concept, your labor model, or your market. You need analysis built for your restaurant — not an industry average.

How It Works
Four steps. Every Monday.

The simplest possible workflow — you spend 5 minutes uploading, we do the rest.

1

You upload your files

Drop your weekly sales export, labor report, and any vendor invoices into your secure portal. Takes about 5 minutes.

2

We run the analysis

Your data is processed through our proprietary restaurant intelligence engine — prime cost, food cost, labor, variances, and trends calculated instantly.

3

Our team reviews & adds insight

Your consultant reviews every number, adds context, and writes 3 specific action items tailored to your operation that week.

4

Report in your inbox

By Monday afternoon, you have a clear, readable report — with your metrics, trends, and exactly what to focus on for the week ahead.

What You Get
Everything you need to
run a tighter operation.

Every weekly report includes all of the following — no add-ons, no upsells.

📊

Weekly Prime Cost Report

Food cost %, labor cost %, prime cost %, total revenue, CoGS, and labor dollars — calculated precisely from your actual data. Not estimates. Not benchmarks.

💬

Joe's Personal Commentary

Every report starts with a note from your consultant. Plain-language interpretation of what the numbers mean for your specific operation that week.

🎯

3 Specific Action Items

Not general advice — three concrete, prioritized actions to take this week. Tied directly to what your numbers are showing. Ranked by impact.

📈

Trend Tracking

See how your prime cost, food cost, and labor are trending week over week. Spot problems early before they become margin disasters.

🗂️

Report History & Archive

Every report is saved in your portal. Access any past week instantly — useful for comparing periods, spotting seasonal patterns, or sharing with ownership.

💼

Ongoing Access to Your Consultant

Have a question mid-week? Launching a new menu? Making a vendor switch? Message Joe directly — included with your subscription.

Pricing
Costs less than
one bad shift per month.

No contracts. Cancel anytime. All plans include the full weekly reporting service.

Single Location
$350
per month · billed monthly
For single-location independent operators who want weekly clarity on their numbers.
  • Weekly prime cost report
  • Expert commentary
  • 3 action items every week
  • Trend tracking & history
  • Direct consultant messaging
  • Works with any POS export
Get Started

More than 3 locations? Contact us for custom pricing →

I always knew my food cost was high but I never knew exactly why or what to do about it. The weekly reports finally gave me a clear picture — and the action items are things I can actually act on before the next week starts.
Carlos R., Owner · Fuego Tacos · Denver, CO
Your Consultant
Joe Lopez
Founder, Cogswell IQ

I built Cogswell IQ because I saw the same pattern over and over: independent operators doing real volume, working incredibly hard, and still feeling like the money wasn't there at the end of the week. The problem was almost always in the numbers — food cost creep, labor running loose, a vendor invoice that slipped through. Things that are fixable once you can see them clearly.

Cogswell IQ combines restaurant operations expertise with purpose-built intelligence tools to give independent operators the kind of weekly financial visibility that used to be reserved for big chains with full accounting teams.

15+
Years in restaurant ops
Weekly
Reports delivered
100%
Independent operators
FAQ
Common questions.
What files do I need to send each week?
Your weekly sales report (from Toast, Square, Aloha, or any POS), your labor or payroll data, and any vendor invoices if you have them. All in CSV, Excel, or PDF format. If you're not sure how to export them, we'll walk you through it.
How long does it take to get my report?
Submit your files by Monday at 10 AM and you'll receive your report the same day, typically by 3 PM. We hold ourselves to same-day delivery every week.
I'm not great with numbers — will I understand the report?
Absolutely. The reports are written in plain language, not accounting jargon. Joe's personal note at the top tells you exactly what the numbers mean and what to do. You don't need a finance background.
What if my numbers are bad? Will it still be useful?
Especially then. The clients who get the most value from Cogswell IQ are the ones who know something's off but can't pinpoint it. That's exactly what the service is designed for.
Is there a contract or commitment?
No contracts. Monthly subscription, cancel anytime. We earn your business every week.
Do you work with chains or franchise locations?
Cogswell IQ is built specifically for independent operators — single locations, small groups, and mom-and-pop restaurants. We focus here so we can go deep on the things that matter to your business.
Get Started
Book your free 30-minute review.

Tell us about your restaurant and we'll take a look at your numbers — no cost, no obligation. You'll walk away with at least one concrete thing to improve, even if you don't sign up.

  • Free 30-minute operations review
  • We'll analyze one week of your actual data
  • You get a real action item regardless
  • No pitch, no pressure
  • Response within 24 hours
Tell us about your restaurant
No commitment required. We'll respond within 24 hours.