Measuring Operational Success: The Key L&D Metrics to Track
Training is more than just a checkbox for restaurant brands — it’s a strategic investment that drives measurable business results. Learning and Development (L&D) teams often face the challenge of proving the value of their training programs. Opus Training’s 2025 Hospitality 360 Training Report, developed in partnership with CHART, reveals the biggest trends happening across the L&D landscape, including the state of training budgets of over 100 surveyed teams.
The report signals a decline in L&D budgets from the previous year. So what’s the key to securing larger investments in L&D initiatives? Tracking and reporting the right operational metrics are crucial to increasing budgets for training teams. Learn how to connect the relevant KPIs, like training completion rates, employee retention, and guest feedback to tangible business results to make a compelling case for increased L&D investment.
2025 Hospitality Training 360 Report
Learn the latest hospitality learning & development trends happening in 2025.
Download the report
Investing in L&D Programs is Essential to Efficient Operations
Restaurant operations thrive on efficiency, consistency, and exceptional guest experiences. Well-designed training programs are the bedrock of efficient restaurant operations, equipping employees with essential skills and knowledge to meet the demands of modern restaurants. These programs directly address industry-wide challenges, including high turnover and skill gaps in customer service, culinary expertise, and effective management, that significantly impact restaurant businesses nationwide.
However, to be truly effective, L&D programs require strategic financial investment. Opus Training’s Hospitality Training 360 Report shows that after a year of fairly substantial L&D budgets in 2024, businesses are dialing them back in 2025.
According to the report:
- The number of respondents anticipating increased spending on training decreased by 10 percentage points from last year.
- Notably, twice as many respondents said they are unsure what this yearʼs budget would bring (10%) vs. last year (< 5%).
This creates a challenge for efficiently building and deploying training programs. To overcome this challenge, L&D teams must show tangible results to prove how their efforts are building a stronger workforce across all tiers of the organization.
In fact, L&D leaders who tracked operational metrics were:
- Nearly twice as likely to see a budget increase (55% vs. 30%)
- Less uncertain of what would happen to their budget (5% vs. 13%)
- Less likely to see a budget decrease (5% vs. 13%)
For teams looking to track training results, getting started is easy. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of the essential KPIs to track that showcase the impact training programs have on a business’s bottom line.
Key KPIs That Showcase Training’s Impact
Training Completion Rates
Training completion rates are foundational metrics that reflect engagement with L&D programs and their effectiveness. Important metrics such as time to completion, completion rate, and accuracy are all measurable results that detail the health of training programs.
With platforms like Opus, which blends a mobile-first, micro-lesson approach, restaurant brands see higher training engagement rates. For instance, Täim achieved 91-93% employee engagement by teaming up with Opus to offer multilingual, mobile-first training.
Why It Matters: High completion rates indicate that employees are absorbing critical knowledge, which translates into better on-the-job performance.
Operational Impact: Reduced time-to-completion can lead to significant labor cost savings. For example, Opus Training helped &pizza cut shop leader ramp time by two weeks, showcasing how efficient training saves both time and money.
Pro Tip: Use platforms like Opus to track average time spent on training and completion rates in real time. These insights help identify bottlenecks and optimize content for faster learning.
Employee Retention
Retention is a critical KPI in an industry notorious for high turnover rates. Effective training fosters employee satisfaction, engagement, and career growth. Deploying engaging training content can be a key to unlocking higher retention for a business.
For example, gamification and incentives can drive employee engagement in training, indirectly leading to better performance and potential retention benefits.
Why It Matters: Replacing employees is expensive—the Center for Hospitality Research at Cornell estimates that the cost of losing a frontline employee averages around $5,864 per person, 14% ($821) of which is lost in orientation and training.
Operational Impact: A well-trained workforce stays longer and performs better. For instance, Bricktown Brewery revealed a 9% increase in employee retention after implementing Opus Training.
Actionable Tip: Focus on retention milestones (e.g., 30-60-90 days) to measure the early impact of onboarding programs.
Guest Feedback
Guest satisfaction can be directly tied to employee performance, making it a key indicator of training effectiveness. With effective training initiatives in place, employees are more educated and productive, resulting in higher food quality and service.
Lisa Holloway, Director of Global Learning and Organizational Development for CKE Restaurants, noted in a panel with CHART professionals how “when ops and training are truly aligned, the impact is undeniable. We’ve experienced fewer guest complaints, higher customer satisfaction, and increased sales.”
Why It Matters: Positive guest feedback drives repeat business and enhances brand reputation.
Operational Impact: Tools like Ovation or Tattle can aggregate guest feedback data to measure service quality improvements post-training.
Spotlight: Gregory's Coffee
How Gregorys Coffee thinks outside the box to prove value. While Gregorys Coffee always encouraged employees to make latte art, they never had a good way to train them on how to do it — until they started using Opus. With step-by-step instructions and skill verification, Opus has helped Gregorys Coffee operationalize latte art.
To assess progress, Lori Goldstrohm, VP of People Development & HR, tracks training scores as well as the number of latte art photos that are shared to Instagram. Why shared photos? Because good latte art is Insta-worthy, and thatʼs the ultimate stamp of approval from customers.
Want to learn more about how Opus helps hospitality businesses? See how Gregorys Coffee ensures employees can do the job from day one. Read the case study.
Making the Business Case for Increased L&D Budgets
According to the report, nearly 40% of L&D professionals donʼt track operational metrics, especially in full service. Notably, the report found that QSR and fast casual businesses were significantly more likely to track operational KPIs than casual or full-service businesses. However, when casual or full-service businesses did track operational metrics, they were more likely to see budget increases.
This underscores the value of tracking KPIs for modern restaurants looking to invest in employee training. The takeaway is clear: L&D teams must demonstrate how improved KPIs translate into tangible business outcomes to advocate for higher budgets. After all, the results far outweigh the costs.
Tips for Connecting Training to Operational KPIs
- Tie training metrics to financial outcomes
- Quantify labor savings from reduced ramp times.
- Calculate the cost savings from improved employee retention.
- Measure increased revenue from enhanced upselling skills.
- Be specific about your goals
- Define clear, measurable KPIs before launching training programs.
- Use the SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
- Example: Aim for a 95% course completion rate or zero relevant guest complaints as reported by customer feedback tools like Ovation or Tattle.
- Choose KPIs that align with company objectives
- Focus on metrics like employee retention or guest satisfaction scores.
- Ensure KPIs ladder up to overall company goals.
- Consider metrics such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) or online review ratings.
- Set realistic timelines for assessment
- Implement quarterly reviews to assess training impact.
- Allow sufficient time for training effects to manifest in operational metrics.
- Use platforms like Opus to track progress in real time and adjust as needed.
- Maintain a regular cadence for analyzing results
- Establish a consistent schedule for reviewing training effectiveness.
- Use data visualization tools to present trends over time.
- Regularly communicate results to stakeholders to maintain buy-in.
- Customize KPIs for different training areas
- Develop specific metrics for new hire onboarding, continuous learning, and leadership development
- Tailor KPIs to reflect the unique goals of each training initiative.
- Engage key stakeholders in KPI development
- Involve frontline managers, subject matter experts, and leadership in defining relevant KPIs
- Ensure buy-in across the organization for the chosen metrics.
- Continuously refine and adapt KPIs
- Regularly review the effectiveness of chosen KPIs
- Be prepared to adjust metrics as business needs and industry trends evolve.
By implementing these strategies and leveraging tools like Opus Training, L&D teams can create a robust framework for demonstrating the tangible impact of training initiatives on operational performance and financial outcomes.
Tracking L&D KPIs is Easier Than Ever with Opus
Training is no longer just an operational necessity — it’s a strategic lever that drives measurable business success for restaurants. By focusing on KPIs like training completion rates, employee retention, and guest feedback, L&D teams can make a compelling case for increased budgets. Whether you’re looking to reduce turnover or enhance guest satisfaction, investing in the right training tools is the first step toward achieving your goals.
Ready to transform your training strategy? Book a demo with Opus today!
